Skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov’s death in DC plane crash leaves wife heartbroken
The family of the Delaware skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov was left heartbroken over the loss of their loved one in the deadly midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night.
Both Kirsanov’s wife, Natalya Gudin, and his daughter, Nicole Kirsanov, opened up on Thursday about the tragedy.
Gudin told ABC News that Kirsanov had been with two youth ice skaters and that she had spoken with her husband earlier on Wednesday as he was getting on American Eagle Flight 5342.
“I lost everything. I lost my husband. I lost my students. I lost my friends,” Gudin told the outlet.
In a tribute on her Instagram story, Nicole shared a photo of her father on the ice alone with a heartfelt message.
“I miss you Dad, I would do anything to bring you back and tell you that I loved you one more time,” she wrote.
In a statement released Thursday night, University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis confirmed that members of the school’s figure skating club had been lost in the tragic incident, including Kirsanov.
“It is unknown at this time whether these young skaters — who are not UD students — were accompanied by their parents or other chaperones,” Assanis’ statement read. “Kirsanov and the skaters trained at the University’s High Performance Training Center, which uses UD ice rink facilities and has been the training home for many years of multiple world-class skating champions and competitors. The figure skating community is tight-knit, and many of our students and coaches have trained and competed alongside those who were lost.”
He added: “Our hearts go out to the families and friends of all of the victims of this horrific tragedy.”
The military helicopter and the jetliner collided shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday in what was the deadliest airline crash in the U.S. in over two decades.
Officials have not yet provided any casualty information behind the crash.
At least 28 bodies have been pulled out of the Potomac River as first responders continue recovery operations in the nation’s capital.
