Maryland figure skating community reeling from deadly D.C. plane crash
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Ting Cui, a Baltimore figure skater, says she wasn’t on the aircraft that crashed Wednesday night into the Potomac River. She returned home last weekend immediately following the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
However, 14 other members of the figure skating community were on the 60-passenger American Eagle flight that collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. U.S. Figure Skating said they were returning home from a developmental camp that followed last weekend’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Officials don’t believe there were any survivors.
“I’m sending thoughts and prayers to everyone and their families on the flight,” said Cui, a 22-year-old Pikesville native who made her third appearance as a senior in the U.S. Championships. “This is terrifying and please know that I am here if anyone needs to talk.”
Not all victims of the crash were part of the figure skating community, including at least four Marylanders.
However, Cui said a couple of close friends were on the airplane.
“I did know two skaters — .a coach and their parents,” Cui told WJZ. “They trained in Delaware.”
When Ting Cui heard of the crash at Reagan National Airport, she got worried.
“Immediately, I knew that there were gonna be skaters on it because that was one of the few direct flights from the D.C.-area to Wichita,” Cui said.
Cui said many were headed back from Wichita after taking part in an exclusive figure skating development camp that takes place after the national competition.
She said the figure skating community is a small, tight-knit one and this tragedy will take some time to recover from.
“These were young, promising skaters invited to the camp,” Cui said. “It’s a huge loss to have so many of us on that flight.”
Bridget Carrig-Brickhouse, a coach with the Baltimore Figure Skating Club, said the entire local figure skating community is in pain over the news.
Carrig-Brickhouse said that, along the East Coast, it’s easy for bonds to be made far across state lines.
“Almost everyone up and down the East Coast, we all know each other,” Carrig-Brickhouse said. “If we don’t know each other personally, we know someone that does know each other.”
On X, the United Association confirmed four members of UA Steamfitters Local 602, based in Prince George’s County, were on the plane.
In a statement, the union said, “Our focus now is on providing support and care to the families of our Brothers.”
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