The jet was carrying 64 people while the helicopter had three aboard. It appears all involved were killed, which would make this the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years. Authorities were continuing to search for remains on Thursday.
D.C. fire and EMS chief John A. Donnelly said during a news conference Thursday that he's confident all of the bodies from the crash will ultimately be recovered.
Here's what we know about those who were aboard the aircraft.
Crew members killed in DC plane crash
First Officer Sam Lilley was one of the crew members killed in the crash, his father, Tim Lilley, confirmed to NewsNation.
Sam Lilley was a pilot for PSA, which is owned by American Airlines. He was a native of Richmond Hill, Georgia, Nexstar's WSAV has learned.
First Officer Sam Lilley was one of those killed when a passenger jet collided with a helicopter. (Tim Lilley)
First Officer Sam Lilley was one of those killed in the plane crash. (Tim Lilley)
“I was so proud when Sam became a pilot,” Tim Lilley wrote in WSAV. “Now it hurts so bad I can’t even cry myself to sleep. I know I’ll see him again but my heart is breaking."
Flight attendant Ian Epstein was also aboard the flight, his wife, Debi, confirmed to Nexstar's WJZY.
"He died doing what he loved," Epstein said Thursday, adding that her husband had switched careers five years ago so he could travel the world. Their daughter is set to get married in just eight weeks.
Two of the flight attendants on board were members of the Association of Flight Attendants-Communications Workers of America, the union confirmed. A relative of a CWA staff member was also killed in the crash.
Other members of the flight crew have not yet been identified, but officials confirmed to WJZY that it was a Charlotte, North Carolina-based flight crew.
Three soldiers who were doing night training
The bodies of all three soldiers who were on the helicopter have been recovered, officials say. Their remains will be at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. That office coordinates the dignified transfer of fallen service members, officials told the Associated Press.
The three soldiers were doing an annual night proficiency training flight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding they were a “fairly experienced crew.” Officials were notifying relatives, he said.
The U.S. Army identified two of three aboard the Blackhawk as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland.
"Mississippi is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was killed in last night’s accident at Reagan National Airport," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement. "Elee and I are praying for the victims’ families and first responders who are assisting."
As of Friday, the Army has not identified the third soldier at the request of the family.
Students, parents from Virginia schools
Three students from schools in Fairfax County, Virginia and six parents from the district were on board the plane, superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to families. She did not identify them, but said the students were from different schools and that two of the parents were current or former district staffers.
It's unclear if any of the students or parents were among those already identified by officials in the ice skating community.
In neighboring Loudoun County, a coach at a skating club was also identified as among the passengers, Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam confirmed. The club, Ashburn Ice House, said that its “figure skating community has been directly affected,” but did not give further details.
Cedarville University in Ohio confirmed Thursday that one of the victims of the crash was student Grace Maxwell. Maxwell was a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering and was anticipating her graduation in 2026, the college said in a statement.
Grace Maxwell (Courtesy: Cedarville University)
“Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering,” Tim Norman, who served as her secondary advisor, said. She had been scheduled to serve on a “project team this semester that would begin to create a hand-stabilizing device for a differently enabled Dayton boy so he could feed himself rather than relying on others,” according to the school.
US figure skaters, coaches
A group of figure skaters and coaches were among the passengers of the American Airlines jet.
Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, and their mothers Jin and Christine were on the plane, Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said Thursday.
Photographs of aircraft crash victims from The Skating Club of Boston rink are displayed rink side, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. From left is skater Jinna Han, skater Spencer Lane and coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Christine's husband, Douglas, told Nexstar's WPRI that Spencer and his younger brother, Milo, were adopted from South Korea. Douglas described Christina as a beautiful, creative person and their son Spencer as "a force of nature."
“Whether he was in his home club in Boston, [Spencer] was just loved by everyone,” Douglas explained. “From adults running the club to smaller skaters, to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all adored him.”
The University of Delaware confirmed that Sasha Kirsanov, a former coach for the school's figure skating club, also died in the crash.
"We believe two young skaters who were members of the UD Figure Skating Club also were on board," Dennis Assanis, the school's president, said in a statement. "It is unknown at this time whether these young skaters — who are not UD students — were accompanied by their parents or other chaperones."
Nexstar's WTAJ has confirmed with sources that Donna Smojice Livingston and her husband Peter were aboard the flight, as were their daughters, Everly and Alydia, both skaters.
Olivia Ter, a 12-year-old figure skater, also died in the crash, according to a release from the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation.
In all, 14 of the victims were coming back from a national development camp for promising young skaters following the U.S. Championships in Wichita, Kansas, Zeghibe said.
The Chinese embassy in the U.S. said two Chinese nationals were also among the victims of the crash. It did not offer further details.
U.S. Figure Skating has set up a family support fund for families who were directly affected by the crash. Find out how to donate.
Kremlin: Former champion Russian skaters killed
The Kremlin confirmed Thursday that Russian figure skaters and other Russian nationals were on the jet. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were aboard the plane.
The couple were coaches for the Skating Club of Boston.
“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.
FILE - Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia perform during free skating in the pairs event of the NHK Trophy International Figure Skating Competition at Nagoya central Japan, Dec. 9, 1995. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)
Maxim Naumov, the son of Shishkova and Naumov, had been in Wichita with his parents. He flew home on Monday, according to Zeghibe.
Hunters headed home
Seven people returning from a guided hunting trip in Kansas were killed, according to a Facebook post by Fowl Plains, the guide service.
The Fowl Plains team said they had grown close to the hunters on board the flight over the years and considered them to be family members. The post doesn't identify the hunters by name, but it says they had spent the past week on a guided hunt, “laughing, talking about our families and sharing memories.”
“Heartbroken is an understatement,” the company said.
The hunters who died in the crash were Jesse Pitcher, 30; Tommy Clagett, 38; Steve Johnson, 45; Alexander Huffman, 34; Michael Stovall, 40;Charles McDaniel, 44; and Jonathan Boyd, 40; Fowl Plains confirmed to The Wichita Eagle.
Maryland Steamfitters union says members were aboard
Those killed also included four steamfitters, all members of a United Association union local in suburban Maryland, union leaders said in a social media post Thursday.
"The entire United Association is grateful to the first responders who worked tirelessly through the night, and who will continue to investigate what happened," the post on X reads. "Our focus now is on providing support and care to the families of our Brothers as we continue to gather more information in the coming days. We will share more details as they become available, including a nationwide UA relief effort for the families. These members will be forever in our hearts, and may God bless them and their loved ones. May they forever rest in peace."
Who else was aboard the flight?
Few of the remaining passengers aboard the American Eagle flight have been identified as of Thursday evening.
Among those confirmed to have died in the crash is 28-year-old Melissa Jane Nicandri, of New York City. Nicandri's family confirmed the news.
Melissa Jane Nicandri, 28, of Brooklyn, died in the crash according to family members. (Handout photo provided by WPIX)
Wendy Jo Shaffer
Nexstar's WJZY has learnedWendy Jo Shaffer, a mother of two small children from Charlotte, North Carolina, was killed. She had been returning from a business trip and was set to have a layover in the District of Columbia.
Connecticut husband and father-of-three Casey Crafton was also aboard the flight. Crafton worked at Guardian Jet, based in Guilford, according to Nexstar's WTNH.
“The airline tragedy in Washington, D.C., last night [Wednesday] has deeply impacted our Salem community,” Conn. State Sen. Martha Marx posted on Facebook. “Casey Crafton—husband of Rachel and father to their three sons—was among the passengers on the American Airlines flight from Kansas that went down in the Potomac River. According to media reports and government sources, there are no survivors. My heart goes out to the Crafton-Gadbois family during this unimaginable time. I ask our community to keep them in your prayers as they navigate this profound loss.”
Civil rights attorney Kiah Duggins, a native of Wichita, Kansas, was set to become a professor at Howard University School of Law in the fall, according to Nexstar's KSNW.
Kiah Duggins (Courtesy: Civil Rights Corps)
“She was a brave and beautiful soul, a light in the fight for civil rights. Her loss is heartbreaking, not only for her family and friends but for everyone who believes in justice and equality,” said former Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse.
Elizabeth Keys, a native of Cincinnati, was an associate with the law firm Wilkinson Stekloff.
"We are heartbroken by this terrible tragedy," the firm said in a statement. "Beyond being an excellent lawyer, Liz brought fearlessness, humor, and sharp wit to work every day, no matter the setting or circumstances."
Bob and Lori Schrock of Kiowa, Kansas, were said to be flying into Washington en route to visit their daughter, who is attending college in Philadelphia, Nexstar's KSN has learned.
Asra Hussain, 26, is believed to have died in the crash. Originally from Carmel, Indiana, Hussain was returning from work-related travel, Nexstar WXIN reports. Her husband, Hamaad Raza, confirmed to WXIN that her body has not yet been found.
The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) confirmed Friday that Lindsey Fields was also aboard AA Flight 5342.
"The National Association of Biology Teachers is devastated to report that NABT President-Elect Lindsey (Carter) Fields was aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, January 29, 2025," according to an email. "Lindsey was traveling to represent the NABT community and advocate for excellence in life science education."
The NABT Board of Directors called her death a "tremendous loss" and asked people to keep Fields and the other crash victims "in your hearts."
Philippine National Police Colonel Pergentino N. Malabed also died in the crash, according to police officials who issued this statement:
Col. Pergentino N. Malabed (Philippine National Police.)
PCOL Malabed was on official travel at the time of the incident, fulfilling his duty as a dedicated police officer—committed to the service of protecting and securing both the PNP and the nation. His untimely passing is a profound loss to the PNP, where he served with honor, integrity, and dedication throughout his career.
We extend our deepest condolences to his bereaved family, loved ones, and colleagues. The PNP is committed to providing them with all necessary support during this difficult time
As we grieve this tragic event, we also honor the dedication and sacrifice of PCOL Malabed. His contributions to the PNP and the nation will never be forgotten.
May he rest in peace.
DC plane crash: What to know
American Eagle Flight 5342 was en route from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard when it collided Wednesday with a UH-60 Black Hawk carrying three soldiers. Both aircraft went into the icy Potomac River, prompting a large search and rescue operation.
The midair crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. local time Wednesday. President Trump said during a news conference Thursday that all 67 aboard are presumed dead.
Emergency response units search the crash site of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on Jan. 30 in Arlington, Virginia. The flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter while approaching the airport. Dozens of people are feared to have died in the midair collision. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Emergency response units search the crash site of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on Jan. 30 in Arlington, Virginia. The flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided in midair with a military helicopter while approaching the airport. According to reports, there were no survivors amongst the 67 people on board both aircraft. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
American Airlines has set up centers in D.C. and Wichita for people seeking information about relatives.
People who believe they have family members on the flights and are looking for further information are asked to call 800-697-8215.
NewsNation's digital producer Michael Ramsey, correspondent Tom Dempsey, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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