Figure Skating Sisters Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, Along with Their Parents, Die in Washington Plane Crash, Details

A devastating plane crash near Washington, D.C., has claimed the lives of multiple passengers, including rising figure skating stars and their families. Among the victims were sisters Everly and Alydia Livingston, who had recently competed in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. The tragic accident occurred on January 29, 2025, when American Airlines Flight 5342 collided midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter before plunging into the icy Potomac River.
The Livingston family—parents Peter and Donna, along with their daughters—were among the 64 people on board the ill-fated flight. The sisters’ final social media post, shared just days before the crash, captured their excitement about competing at Nationals. “If you look closely at Alydia’s badge… We were born ready for this, but is @usfigureskating ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?” the caption read.
The Livingston sisters were well-known in the figure skating community, admired for their dedication and talent. A close family friend, Cassandra Atkins, who designed their skating outfits through her company, Frozen Couture, expressed her heartbreak. Though she lived in Australia and had never met them in person, Cassandra had built a close relationship with the family, exchanging daily messages and photos with Donna. “Donna was just the most perfect mom,” she said tearfully. “Those girls were her whole world.”
Cassandra recalled her last conversation with Donna, just a week before the crash. They had discussed new outfit designs for the sisters, who preferred bright colors that made them stand out on the ice. “They just loved skating so much,” Cassandra said. “When they weren’t skating, they were roller skating. They found ways to always be moving.”
Tributes have poured in from the skating community, with many remembering Alydia as a vibrant young ice dancer with an unwavering drive to improve. At just 11 years old, she was the youngest skater on the plane. “She had an infectious energy and a fierce determination,” one tribute read. Her older sister, Everly, was more reserved off the ice but transformed into a powerful competitor when she skated. She had become a sectional champion at both the juvenile and intermediate levels.
The Livingston family’s dedication to their daughters’ careers was unwavering. Donna worked at Comcast, while Peter was a real estate agent, but they spent much of their time traveling across states—between Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia—to support their daughters’ training and competitions. “Donna will be remembered for her optimism, and Peter for being the supportive dad who filmed his girls anywhere and everywhere,” a tribute from The Skating Lesson Facebook page stated.
Their passion for figure skating started young. A 2022 Facebook post showed a throwback photo of the sisters playing in the snow at just two and five years old. “Every year, their father built an ice rink in their backyard,” the caption read. “As the girls grew, so did the rink.” In 2023, Everly was interviewed at the Ashburn Ice House and spoke about her love for the sport. “I love that figure skating has both jumps and spins,” she said. “It’s challenging, but it’s also beautiful.”
The Livingston sisters had also documented their skating journey on their YouTube channel, which has since become a place of remembrance for their supporters. Their parents had created the channel in 2018 to showcase their daughters’ progress, and over the years, it gained hundreds of subscribers and thousands of views.
The plane crash occurred at approximately 9 p.m. local time when Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, collided midair with an Army Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while approaching Reagan National Airport. The impact sent the aircraft spiraling into the Potomac River. Emergency responders worked tirelessly through the night, battling freezing temperatures and strong winds to recover passengers. By Thursday, at least 28 bodies had been pulled from the wreckage. Authorities have indicated that no survivors are expected.
The skating world suffered further losses in the crash. Among the victims were Boston Skating Club athletes Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, along with their mothers, Christine and Jin. Jinna, 13, was a standout skater in the Eastern Sectional Singles Final and had been described as “graceful, competitive, and deeply supportive of her fellow skaters.” Tributes flooded social media, with one journalist writing, “Jinna Han was a remarkable skater. This loss is heartbreaking.”
Coaches and athletes from other figure skating clubs were also on board. Renowned pair skating coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who had trained some of the sport’s best competitors, perished in the crash. The Northern Virginia skating community lost young skaters Eddie Zhou and Brielle Beyer, along with her mother, Justyna Magdalena. The Washington Figure Skating Club, to which the Livingston sisters belonged, also lost athlete Franco Aparicio and coach Inna Volyanskaya. The University of Delaware Figure Skating Club lost skaters Sean Kay and Angela Yang, as well as coach Alexandr Kirsanov.
U.S. Figure Skating issued a statement on Instagram, expressing their devastation: “We are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are now working to determine what led to the midair collision. Air traffic control logs reveal that controllers had instructed the military helicopter to alter its path to avoid the approaching jet. The helicopter pilot acknowledged the directive, but just moments later, disaster struck.
Operations at Reagan National Airport were temporarily suspended following the crash. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed the tragedy, stating, “This is a painful moment for our city and for so many across the country. We are committed to recovering every person and providing answers to the families.” The recovery mission remains ongoing, with divers braving frigid waters in an effort to locate the remaining victims.
The figure skating community now faces an unthinkable loss, mourning some of its brightest stars and most dedicated supporters. As investigations continue, families are left grappling with grief, searching for closure in the wake of an unspeakable tragedy.