India, Jan. 30 -- Tragedy struck on Wednesday night as a midair collision between an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter led to a devastating crash into the Potomac River near Washington. Among the passengers on board were Evgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, renowned former world champion figure skaters who claimed the World Figure Skating Championship in pairs in 1994. American Airlines confirmed that the plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members at the time of the crash.

The couple was returning to DC from Wichita after attending a skating championship on Flight 5342. However, their son, Maxim Naumov, 23, who is a prominent skater for Team USA was not travelling with his parents...