Famed Disney actress among 64 American Airline passengers killed in Washington plane crash as 30 bodies found

A beloved Disney connected Ice performer and a parent of 2 young children were among the 64 passengers killed connected committee the American Airlines formation 5432 erstwhile it collided with a Black Hawk chopper adjacent Washington, DC. Wednesday night

A cherished Disney connected Ice performer and a parent of 2 were among the victims of the fatal level clang near Washington, DC connected Wednesday night. An American Airlines pitchy carrying 64 passengers collided with a U.S. Army chopper implicit the icy Potomac River.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the mid-air collision happened astatine astir 9pm section clip erstwhile American Airlines formation 5342 had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and collided with a subject Blackhawk chopper portion connected attack astatine Ronald Regan National Airport adjacent Washington.

Officials confirmed the helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60 that had taken disconnected from Fort Belvoir successful Virginia, was connected a grooming flight, and the level was en way from Wichita, Kansas, and was preparing to onshore astatine Ronald Reagan National Airport erstwhile the tragic incidental occurred. The collision resulted successful the decease of everyone aboard some aircraft.

READ MORE: Man fears helium 'narrowly escaped death' by missing doomed American Airlines 5432 flight

It is believed that the Black Hawk chopper inadvertently flew into the way of the jet. So far, astatine slightest 30 bodies person been recovered from the freezing river. Among the deceased were respective US and Russian fig skaters, arsenic good arsenic 4 members of the formation crew. One of the victims was Inna Volyanskaya, a 59 twelvemonth aged erstwhile Soviet fig skater and Disney connected Ice performer, reports the Express US.

Virginia Representative Suhas Subramanyam confirmed her death, stating: "It's confirmed that nary of the 67 radical successful past night's clang survived, including members of our assemblage similar Inna Volyanskaya, an crystal skating manager successful Ashburn,"

Volyanskaya was renowned for her roles arsenic Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel successful Disney connected Ice. Her ex-husband, Ross Lansel, spoke astir her legacy, saying: "She was 1 of the champion skaters I've ever seen, honestly. She was 1 of the champion brace girls to skate."

He expressed that her nonaccomplishment is simply a devastating stroke to the young skaters she coached successful Virginia, adding: "Just knowing the interaction she made connected each the skaters and everyone conscionable hurts my soul, I privation each those kids she taught-just my condolences and each my prayers spell retired to them."

U.S. Figure Skating, the assemblage representing fig skaters, confirmed that a fig of skaters, coaches, and household members were connected board. They had been connected their mode backmost from the National Development Camp, which took spot concurrently with the nationalist championships.

The loved ones of respective of the radical killed successful the tragic incidental person come guardant ot wage tribute. Sam Lilley, 28, was 1 of the 2 pilots aboard American Airlines formation 5342. His dada Timothy Lilley spoke to FOX 5 Atlanta to corroborate his lad had died, and said: "This is undoubtedly the worst time of my life".

Ryan O'Hara, from Georgia, was connected committee the Black Hawk subject helicopter. He leaves down a woman and a one-year-old son. It is presently unclear what caused the fatal clang but officials person said the subject chopper was conducting a grooming workout erstwhile the clang took place.

A apical Army aviation authoritative said the Black Hawk unit was "very experienced" and acquainted with the congested flying that occurs regular astir Washington. Jonathan Koziol, main of unit for Army aviation said: "Both pilots had flown this circumstantial way before, astatine night. This wasn't thing caller to either 1 of them. Even the unit main successful the backmost has been successful the portion for a precise agelong time, precise acquainted with the area, precise acquainted with the routing structure."

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump bizarrely suggested "diversity hires" successful aerial postulation power could beryllium the origin of the crash. The president alleged, without evidence, that "people with terrible intelligence and psychiatric disabilities" had been recruited to the Federal Aviation Administration to negociate aerial traffic. He said: "I bash privation to constituent retired that assorted articles that appeared anterior to my entering office. And here's one, the FAA's diverseness propulsion includes absorption connected hiring radical with terrible intelligence and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing.

"And past it says FAA says radical with terrible disabilities are astir underrepresented conception of the workforce said 'they privation them in, and they privation them, they tin beryllium aerial postulation controllers' - I don't deliberation so. This was January 14, truthful that was a week earlier I entered office. They enactment a large propulsion to enactment diverseness into the FAA's programme."