Jon Maravilla competing in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Sept. 6, 2024. Photo:
Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty
A figure skater who missed an American Airlines plane that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, is speaking out.
American figure skater Jon Maravilla, who was scheduled to travel from Kansas to Washington, D.C., told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that he was told during check-in that he wouldn’t be able to board the flight due to size restrictions that prevented his dog from being carried on the aircraft.
He then decided to travel back to Washington by car after he couldn’t board the flight, which later departed out of Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, colliding with the helicopter over the Potomac River as it attempted a landing near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Sharing the moment on his Instagram Stories, per figure-skating fan page @fs.delight, Maravilla wrote alongside a photo from the airport, “Not allowed past gate to board flight,” alongside multiple facepalm emojis. “Get me tf out of Kansas please.”
He then shared another image of a highway with the caption that read, “14 hour journey begins,” as shared on @fs.delight’s Instagram Stories hours after the incident.
Saya Carpenter and Jon Maravilla competing in Gdansk, Poland, on Sept. 27, 2024. Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty
Many members of the U.S. Figure Skating team were among the 64 passengers and crew members traveling on the American Airlines plane that crashed into the military aircraft over the Potomac River near Reagan airport around 9 p.m. local time.
Russian former world figure-skating champions and longtime couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also reportedly on the aircraft, according to Reuters.
Per The New York Times, Maravilla told RIA Novosti that there were “about 14 figure skaters on the plane, not counting their parents and coaches.”
“Such a tragedy,” he said, stating that he didn’t want to share any names.
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Emergency response in the Potomac River following the plane crash (Jan. 30, 2025). Andrew Harnik/Getty
In a statement provided to PEOPLE, U.S. Figure Skating confirmed that members from their community were on the flight.
“U.S. 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.,” the Jan. 30 statement read.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the governing body added.
“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 statement concluded.
