The United States figure skating body has confirmed that several skaters were on an American Airlines regional passenger plane that crashed near Reagan Washington National Airport, located just outside Washington, DC in Virginia.

The plane, with 64 passengers and crew, was en route to Washington, DC, from Wichita, Kansas, when it collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter late on Wednesday.

Russian figure skaters including world champion couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the 1994 pairs title, were also on board the passenger plane, Russian state news agencies reported.

The Kremlin confirmed that Russian citizens were on board the plane, saying it had seen “sad reports” the couple were among them.

Officials have not said how many people died in the accident but have suggested there may be no survivors.

US Figure Skating said that athletes, coaches and family members were returning from the National Development Camp held 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,” it said in a statement.

More than 180 athletes competed in the January 20-26 championships in Kansas, the organisation said. The development camp was held January 27-28 for nearly 150 up-and-coming skaters across performance levels, the US Figure Skating website said.

Officials said that the American Airlines jet and Army helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after colliding near Reagan Washington National Airport.

Several of the passengers were members of the US figure skating community who had been taking part in a training camp for top juniors held after the US championships in Wichita.

“Figure skating is more than a sport, it’s a close-knit family and we stand together,” the International Skating Union (ISU) added.

“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” the global governing body said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.

“Figure skating is more than a sport – it’s a close-knit family – and we stand together. We remain in close contact with U.S. Figure Skating and offer our full support during this incredibly difficult time.”

‘The best people have been taken away’

Shishkova, 52, and Naumov, 55, competed at six world championships between 1991 to 1996, winning gold, silver and bronze medals.

The couple, who married in 1995, ended their careers after failing to qualify for the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.

After becoming professionals, they moved to the US to become coaches, first in Connecticut, and since 2017, in Boston.

Their 23-year-old son Maxim Naumov, the US junior champion in 2020, had recently placed fourth in the US national championships in Kansas.

Inna Volyanskaya, a former skater who competed for the Soviet Union, was also reported to have been on board, TASS said. She was a coach at the Washington Figure Skating Club, according to its website.

Russia’s Figure Skating Federation said it was “shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy”.

“Some of them were our compatriots and in their time made a significant contribution to domestic figure skating,” it said, without naming any of the victims.

Speaking in St Petersburg, Ludmila Velikova, who trained Shishkova and Naumov when they were children and who was pivotal to their success, told the Reuters news agency that a group of 14 skaters and trainers had been on board the plane.

She said she was devastated by the loss of Shishkova and Naumov, but was relieved that their son Maxim, who had competed in Kansas, had not been on the same plane.

“They were my favourite sports people. They were part of my first attempt at the world championships and became champions in 1994. They were talented and beautiful people,” said Velikova, visibly distraught.

“Apart from anything else, they were my children. Zhenya [Shishkova] trained with me from the age of 11 and Vladik [Naumov] from age 14. They were like my own children. What’s happened is awful. The best people have been taken away from us.”