King Charles speaks out on DC plane crash tragedy
King Charles III is sharing his devastation over the recent American Airlines plane crash.
On Wednesday, a commercial flight traveling from Wichita, Kansas collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. All 67 people involved in the crash died, including the 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines airplane.
“My family and I have been profoundly shocked and saddened by the dreadful news of the tragic air accident in Washington, D.C., which has led to such a devastating loss of life,” the monarch, 76, said in his Saturday statement.
“Our hearts, and our special thoughts, are with the people of the United States and our deepest possible sympathy goes to the families and loved ones of all the victims.”
The monarch added: “I would also like to pay a particular tribute to the emergency responders who acted so quickly to this horrendous event.”
The American Airlines flight included 14 youth figure skaters — six of which were members of The Skating Club of Boston — who traveled to Kansas for the U.S. Figure Skating’s development camp earlier this week.
“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” the Boston Skating Club said in a statement on Thursday.
“Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 to 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
The victims from the club have been identified as teens, Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, their mothers, Molly Lane and Jin Han, and two coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former Russian world champions.
CEO Doug Zeghibe addressed the tragic news in a press conference that same day.
Shishkova and Naumov’s son Maxim Naumov boarded a flight out of Wichita just days prior to the plane crash, losing both his parents who stayed behind to help coach.
“Max was competing at the U.S. Championships in the senior men’s event, championship men,” Zeghibe said during the press conference. “He placed fourth, which is a medaling spot. His time in Wichita concluded on Sunday with the men’s event. He was actually on a plane on Monday. I came back with him. He had no reason to stay at the National Development Camp.”
Olympian Scott Hamilton also touched on the profound impact this has had on the skating community while on the “Today show” Friday
“It’s beyond the skating community. So many people see this tragedy and the loss of these brilliant young skaters who have poured their lives into building an identity in our sport,” the gold medalist acknowledged. “For their lives to be taken … is just devastating [and] shocking. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Hamilton continued: “This is where the community comes together. It’s a very tight-knit, very close-knit, very wonderful, caring, supportive community. We’re no stranger to tragedy, but this is just beyond devastation.”
