What we know about the victims of the Washington plane crash

The American Airlines CRJ700 jet that crashed into the Potomac River. (AP: Nicholas Toto/610 Aviation)

Teenager figure skaters described as as the "future of the sport", world champions, and a pilot planning his wedding were among the 67 victims of the Washington plane crash.

The American Airlines commercial flight was just minutes away from landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport when it collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter mid-air.

Officials say there are no survivors.

It was the country's deadliest aviation disaster since 2001.

Here is what we know about some of the victims so far:

Figure skating community 

Fourteen members of the skating community were on board, AP has reported.

The number "5432" is written on the ice rink, referencing American Eagle flight, at the Wichita Ice Center. (Reuters: Nick Oxford)

Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said the group was returning from a national development camp for promising young skaters, after the US Championships in Wichita, Kansas. 

Former figure skating world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also among those killed. 

Russian figure skating coach Yevgenia Shishkova is thought to have died in the crash. (Reuters: )

• Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, both around 16 years old, had been attending the US Figure Skating's National Development Camp in Wichita and were on board the flight with their mothers.
• Russian-born Inna Volyanskaya, a skating coach in the Washington area, was also on board the plane, according to a X post from US Representative Suhas Subramanyam and a report from the Russian news agency TASS.

Coaches said 16-year-old skater Spencer Lane had a promising future with the sport. (AP: The Skating Club of Boston)

In 2022, Spencer watched Nathan Chen, the superstar American figure skater, win a gold medal at the Olympics.

His father Douglas Lane said that was when his son decided to take up skating too. 

Three years later, the 16-year-old had qualified for an elite national training camp in Wichita reserved for young athletes.

Mr Zeghibe, from the Skating Club of Boston, said young people in the camp were looked at "as the future of the sport".

Jinna Han was returning from the US Figure Skating Championships. (AP: The Skating Club of Boston)

Mr Zeghibe had known Jinna Han since she was young.

"We watched Jinna just grow up here from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13-year-old," he said.

"A great performer, a great competitor, and off the ice, a great kid."

Photographs of aircraft crash victims, from left skater Jinna Han, skater Spencer Lane and coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova. (AP: Charles Krupa)

• Everly and Alydia Livingston, aged 14 and 11, respectively, were among those killed in the crash, according to the Kansas City Star newspaper. Their parents, Peter and Donna, were also on the plane.
• Angela Yang and Sean Kay were among the youngest skaters killed, alongside their coach Alexandr Kirsanov, his wife Natalia Gudin told Delaware News Journal.
• Coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were all aboard the plane.
• Ice skater Cory Haynos and his parents, Roger and Stephanie, have been named as victims, according to a Facebook post from a family member.

Cory Haynos with his parents Roger and Stephanie. (Facebook: Matthew Alan LaRaviere)

Plane crew and helicopter soldiers

All three soldiers aboard the helicopter were killed when the two aircraft slammed into each other on Wednesday night, causing a fiery explosion.

There were two pilots and four crew aboard American Airlines flight AA5342 from Wichita, Kansas.

• Sam Lilley, 28, was one of the American Airlines pilots, serving as the first officer, according to his father Timothy Lilley, in a Facebook post.

"I was so proud when Sam became a pilot," Timothy Lilley, himself a pilot, wrote.

"Now it hurts so bad I can't even cry myself to sleep."

Sam's dad said he was engaged to be married later this year.

The image of Sam Lilley that his father, Timothy Lilley, shared to Facebook. (Facebook: Timothy Lilley)

• Flight attendant Ian Epstein is survived by two daughters, according to his ex-wife, Debi Epstein.

"He made flying fun for the passengers on the plane so they didn't get scared," she said.

"He was always the jokester and just doing the announcements with the twist."

The image of Ian Epstein that his ex-wife, Debi Epstein, shared to Facebook. (Facebook: Debi Epstein)

• Jonathon Campos was the captain of the plane.  
• Danasia Elder was the second flight attendant.
• Ryan O'Hara was one of three soldiers on board the Black Hawk helicopter, a US official confirmed. He was a member of the Parkview High School Reserve Officers' Training Corps in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Wendy Shaffer

US Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin confirmed that a family friend, Wendy Shaffer, was on board American Airlines Flight AA5342.

Ms Shaffer, who lived in Charlotte in North Carolina, devoted her life to her family, including her two small children, ages one and three, according to her friends.

"Wendy was not just beautiful on the outside, but was a truly amazing woman through and through," her husband, Nate Shaffer said. 

"She was the best wife, mother, and friend that anyone could ever hope for. Her love, kindness, and strength touched everyone she met."

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for her family described her as a "radiant soul."

Asra Hussain Raza

Asra Hussain Raza, 26, sent a text to her husband, Hamaad, from the flight, saying she would land in about 20 minutes. 

Asra Hussain Raza, 26, was killed in the Washington crash. (Facebook: Asra Hussain )

His father Hashim Raza said his son had been waiting at the airport.

"Asra was everything to us," he said.

"Now my son is a widower at 25. What do I say to him? They planned to have children, they were so much looking forward to that."

Here's what we know about the American Airlines crash

Photo shows The red light of emergency service vehicles reflect across a dark river as personnel stand near the site of a plane crash.

Authorities say the rescue operation has become a recovery operation 

Grace Maxwell

Cedarville University in Ohio said one of the passengers on the plane was Grace Maxwell, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.

Maxwell's father, Dean Maxwell, said she was returning to campus from her home in Wichita, Kansas, after attending her grandfather's funeral, the Kansas City Star reported.

"Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering," said Tim Norman, who served as her secondary advisor.

Wichita mayor Lily Wu hugs Pastor Albert Paredes during a prayer vigil in Wichita, Kansas for those affected by the crash. (AP: Travis Heying)

At least five members of a Washington plumbers and pipe fitters union were also among the dead, the union said in a statement, without identifying the victims.

The North America's Building Trades Unions called it an "immeasurable loss to our community".

"As we grieve alongside the nation, we stand in unwavering solidarity with the families and loved ones of the victims, offering our full support to all those impacted by this tragedy," the union said in a statement.

Seven people returning from a guided hunting trip in Kansas were also killed, according to a Facebook post by Fowl Plains, the guide service.

Overseas passengers

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said she believe authorities had not yet reached the families of four people from overseas who were on board the flight. She did not state which country they were from.

State media in Beijing has since reported that two Chinese nationals were on board American Airlines flight AA5342. 

The embassy said the Chinese citizens were "among the victims in the mid-air collision of a passenger plane and a helicopter near Reagan National Airport", according to the Xinhua news agency.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the ABC on Thursday that it was "not aware of any Australians affected".

ABC/Wires