UPDATED: DC Aircraft Collision Affects OC Fishing Community & UD Skating Club


The plane crash Wednesday night in Washington, DC, has hit the Ocean City fishing community. The White Marlin Open announced on their Facebook page Thursday that Steve Johnson, the owner and captain of the Ctrl-Alt-Del, was among those who died in the crash. Johnson’s boat took part in last summer’s White Marlin Open.

President of the University of Delaware, Dennis Assanis, in a message to the University community announced that several members of the figure skating community connected to U-D also lost their lives in the aircraft collision. Assanis says that Sasha Kirsanov, a former UD Figure Skating Club coach was on the plane and it’s believed that two young skaters who were members of the club – but not U-D students – were also on board. It’s now know if they were accompanied by their parents or other chaperones.

 

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer is calling for a full investigation by the federal government into the plane collision Wednesday night that left 67 people dead. That includes members of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club – coach Sasha Kirsanov and two youth skaters and their family members who were on board the American Airlines plane.

“This immense loss of life should never have happened, and my thoughts are with the families of all the victims, including the 64 souls aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 and the three service members. The FAA and the U.S. Department of Defense must take all necessary measures to make sure a collision like this never happens again. Here in Delaware, we’re mourning the loss of former University of Delaware Figure Skating coach Sasha Kirsanov, as well as two youth skaters and their family members who were aboard AA5342. Lauren’s and my thoughts are with the families today as they grapple with this new reality, and we encourage all Delawareans to keep them in your prayers.”

US Senator Chris Coons issued the following statement after reports that three Delawareans were among those killed in last night’s plane crash near Washington Reagan National Airport:

 “I’m devastated to hear the news that at least three Delawareans died during last night’s air collision. Sasha Kirsanov, Sean Kay, and Angela Yang went to Wichita to pursue their passion for figure skating. It is a tragedy that none of them returned home to our state. Delaware is a state of neighbors, and tonight we hold all of our neighbors a little closer. My heart goes out to Sasha’s wife Natalia, the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, and every other Delawarean touched by the three of them.”