US Figure Skating has confirmed that several skaters and their coaches were on board the American Airlines plane that crashed in Washington D.C. on Wednesday night.
A search and rescue operation is currently underway after a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter in mid-air.
The flight, which had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, had been due to land at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when the mid-air collision took place, sending both aircraft into the Potomac River.
The US Army Black Hawk helicopter also had three soldiers on board when the collision happened at around 9PM local time.
The passenger plane was moments from landing, having flown from Wichita, Kansas, and the military helicopter had reportedly been on a training flight.
According to a statement from US Figure Skating, several of its skaters, and some of their parents, as well as their coaches had been on the flight.
The organization told the New York Post in a statement: "US Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.
"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."
The skaters were reportedly part of the National Development Team and had competed at the US Figure Skating Championships at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, which was held between January 20 and 26.
Team US pair skater Luke Wang said on X: "Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to DC. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. absolutely heartbreaking."
Currently, there are around 300 responders searching the river, with helicopters and inflatable boats also aiding the rescue operation.
Washington D.C. fire chief John Donnelly said the operation is "highly complex" due to "extremely rough conditions", adding that any potential survivors could be at risk of hypothermia due to the cold and windy conditions.
President Donald Trump also shared a statement thanking first responders for their "incredible work", adding that he is "monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise".
He concluded his post by writing: "May God Bless their souls."
According to reports, audio from the air traffic control tower at the time of the crash shows a controller asking the helicopter: "PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight", referring to the passenger aircraft.
"Tower, did you see that?" another pilot is heard saying seconds after the collision.
An investigation into the circumstances of the crash is currently underway.