A married couple who were world champion figure skaters have been identified as passengers on the American Airlines flight that crashed with a helicopter last night.

American Airlines Flight 5342 had left Wichita, Kansas, and was on its route to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it crashed with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter at 9 p.m. on Wednesday (January 29).

The plane was allegedly carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, with three on board the helicopter when they collided around 300 feet over the Potomac River.

Emergency agencies are continuing to extensively search the water, and they have stated today that they anticipate discovering no survivors in what is turning out to be the worst US air tragedy in more than two decades.

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, married world champion figure skaters and instructors, have now been verified as passengers on the plane, according to local Russian news outlets.

The duo won the world championships in figure skating together three decades ago, in 1994, and have supposedly been residing in the United States since at least 1998, according to The Mirror.

According to Russia’s TASS and RIA news agencies, their son, Maxim, is also believed to be on board the plane, along with over a dozen other Russian figure skaters.

Just days earlier, Maxim and other skaters participated in the US figure skating championships in Wichita.

They also claim that Inna Volyanskaya, a Soviet Union competitor and coach of the Washington figure skating club, was involved.

Spencer Lane, another skater, also posted a photo of the plane’s wing before departure in Wichita with the message “ICT TO DCA,” which refers to the airport codes for Wichita and Reagan, according to The New York Post.

US Figure Skating has subsequently posted a statement on the Olympics website, verifying that skaters were on board the airplane.

The message reads: “Several members of our skating community were tragically killed onboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which crashed with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C. These competitors, coaches, and family members were returning from the National Development Camp, which took place in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.”

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” they say. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

Another statement sent by the International Skating Union (ISU) on Twitter says in part, “We are devastated to discover that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are believed to be on board.

“Our sympathies are with everyone impacted by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport; it is a close-knit community, and we all stand together. We stay in constant communication with U.S. Figure Skating and extend our entire support during this challenging time.”

According to CBS News, the jet has split into several parts and is approximately eight feet deep in the river.

John Donnelly, the District of Columbia’s fire chief, also stated in a somber press conference today (Thursday, January 30) that 28 dead had been discovered and that their rescue effort has been moved to recovery.