Two Russian figure skating coaches with Massachusetts ties were among those on board an American Airlines flight that collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River Wednesday night, according to reports from Russian media.
Former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov joined the staff at The Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts, in 2017, according to the club website. Shishkova, 52, and Naumov, 55, won the pairs figure skating event at the 1994 World Championship. The couple has been living in the U.S. since 1998 after retiring from competitive skating, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Their son Maxim Naumov, who trained in Norwood, competed for the U.S. and was the U.S. National Novice Championship in 2017. It was not clear if he was also on the plane.
An American Eagle passenger plane collided with a military helicopter while on approach to Reagan National Airport.
U.S. Figure Skating has said that several members of the skating community were on board American Airlines Flight 5342, including athletes, coaches and family members. They were returning home from the National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to the skating club for comment.
