A plane crash in Washington claimed the lives of Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, both of whom were figure skating sisters. Their parents also perished in the accident.
The recent plane disaster that occurred in Washington, District of Columbia, resulted in the deaths of two sisters who were competitors in that sport. After competing in the most recent championships in Wichita, the two members of the group were on their way back home when the tragic event took place.
Several individuals, including Peter Livingston, his wife Donna Smojice Livingston, who was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, and their daughters who compete in figure skating, have reportedly confirmed the identities of the victims, as stated in the stories. In the tragic plane crash that was operated by American Airlines, they were among the people who lost their lives.
On Flight 5342, the couple’s two children, Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, were among those who lost their lives. The crew and several passengers also killed in the crash. The most recent photo that the brothers posted to social media was of them posing together at the event that they attended on January 24.
Several hashtags were included in the tweet, which stated, “If you look closely at Alydia’s badge…” among other things. Do you think that @usfigureskating is ready for this much Livingston at Nationals, despite the fact that we were born prepared for this?
In the process of designing some of the girls’ skating clothing, Cassandra Atkins, an Australian family friend of the Livingstons, assisted in the creation of some of the garments through her firm, Frozen Couture. In spite of the fact that she had never seen the family in person, she maintained regular communication with Donna on a weekly or daily basis.
Cassandra received numerous photographs and videos of her children from their mother every single day. “Donna was just like the most perfect mom,” she commented on their relationship as she reflected on their past together. It was she. In addition to everything else, those girls were her entire universe and everything she ever wanted.
A chat that took place between Cassandra and Donna a week ago was regarding the possibility of making new garments for the girls. As far as Donna is concerned, her daughters took pleasure in making a statement on the ice by donning bright colors rather than the darker colors that other skaters of their age often wore.
When Cassandra thought back on the girls’ enthusiasm for skating, she said, “They just loved skating so much.” “They were roller skating or they had wheels on their boots when they weren’t skating,” she said. They always managed to find a solution.
The Skating Lesson Facebook page also expressed sadness on the demise of the Livingstons. The page displayed images of the sisters and highlighted Alydia as a new ice dancer who had secured a position in the camp by teaming with a new partner.
She also held the record for being the youngest skater on the plane. The page states that Lydia, who was 11 years old at the time, was well-known for her bright nature and her great desire to develop on the ice, regardless of the criticism she received.
On the other hand, her older sister was more reserved and silent, and the only time she came to life was when she was standing on the ice. She achieved the position of sectional champion at both the intermediate and juvenile levels of competition. While their mother worked for Comcast, their father was a real estate agent. The children’s mother was also employed by Comcast.
In recent months, the deceased couple was described as devoted parents who, in order to support their daughters’ skating careers, split their time between Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia. They stayed in hotels quite frequently during this time.
In addition, the post stated that “Donna will be remembered for her positive attitude, and Peter will be remembered for being a loving and supportive father who enjoyed filming his daughters wherever and whenever they were.”
The sisters have had a significant interest in figure skating ever since they were young, as stated in a post that was published on Facebook on December 3, 2022 by a page that specializes in figure skating. The information that Everly and Alydia were two and five years old at the time of the shot was revealed on the website, which featured an old photograph of the two of them smiling in the snow.
In spite of the fact that they were nine and twelve years old at the time, the sisters continued to compete in figure skating. “Every year, their father creates an ice rink in the garden for the girls,” the account continued, underlining the daughters’ enthusiasm for the sport because of their commitment to it. Along with the girls’ growing growth, the size of the rink continues to expand year after year.
The Ashburn Ice House was the location of the interview that Fox5 recorded with Everly in the year 2023. Upon being asked what aspect of figure skating she enjoyed the most, she responded by expressing her appreciation for the fact that it contained spins and leaps amongst the skaters.
The young skater recognized that figure skating is a lovely sport since, despite the fact that it is challenging, it also requires grace during competitions. They also had a YouTube account created for them by their parents in November of 2018, so that they could demonstrate their skills. There are currently 437 subscribers, 86,534 views, and 67 videos published on the channel as of this moment.
On the evening of Wednesday, January 29, a Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the Army and an airplane belonging to American Airlines collided in the vicinity of Washington, District of Columbia. As stated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a collision occurred between a Bombardier CRJ700 plane belonging to PSA Airlines and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while it was in the air.
It was approximately nine o’clock in the evening local time when the accident occurred at Reagan Washington National Airport. The plane was nearing the runway at the time. A total of sixty-four people were killed, including members of their families, coaches, and figure skating athletes from the United States.
When the event took place, the party was on its way back to their vehicles after returning from the United States Figure Skating Championships held in Wichita, Kansas, the previous week. Only a few of the fatalities had participated in the championships that were held concurrently with the National Development Camp.
The names of the following victims have been acknowledged as members, coaches, and family of the United States Figure Skating Team. Beginning with the Skating Club (SC) of Boston athletes, the following identities of victims have been recognized: Jinna Han and her mother, Jin Han, and Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine.
Figure skater Jinna, who was just 13 years old at the time, rose to prominence as a result of her performance in the Eastern Sectional Singles Final in the year 2025. At that time, she was competing in the novice women’s free skate section of the competition. Recognition was bestowed upon her as a result of her tranquility, technical expertise, and commanding presence on stage.
In the year 2023, she gave outstanding performances at the Ice Chips concert that was held in SC Boston. Doug Zeghibe, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of SC Boston, lauded her abilities by stating that she was “in it to win it, full of grace, a serious competitor but so nice about it and so supportive of her fellow competitors.” Simply a delight, yet for a young girl of thirteen years old, she is just full of grace.
Kath Cornetta, a journalist and skating enthusiast, expressed her sorrow at the loss of Jinna Han in a post on X. She said, “I am saddened by the loss of everyone on that DC flight, but especially so by the loss of Jinna Han.” In terms of skating, she was extraordinary.
Regarding Jinna Han, Kat has previously written about her in more than one occasion. In the past, she had expressed her admiration for the late athlete’s talent and dedication to the sport. “London and her friend Jinna Han, a shining star lost in the plane crash, will continue to inspire us,” Tashema Lindsey said in a post that included Jinna’s mother and her friend London. “Jingna Han was a shining star who was lost in the plane crash.” London is saddened by the news![…] [..] I am just completely and utterly heartbroken! ” [sic]”
SC Boston coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were among those who were eliminated from the competition. Among the athletes who passed away were those from Northern Virginia, including Cory Haynos, Justyna Magdalena, Brielle Beyer and her mother, and Eddie Zhou. The Figure Skating Club (FSC) in Washington was a club that Everly and Alydia were proud members of.
Franco Aparicio was another athlete from the Washington FSC who ended up passing away, and Inna Volyanskaya, the coach, also went away. Athletes Sean Kay and Angela Yang, as well as coach Alexandr Kirsanov, were among those who left the University of Delaware FSC family.
One of the things that the United States Figure Skating Association said in a statement that was published on Instagram on the day of the collision was, “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the families of the victims closely in our hearts.”
The inquiry is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working in conjunction with the NTSB.
