Some victims in the recent Washington, D.C., crash include figure skating sisters. The pair competed in the latest championships in Wichita and were flying home when the incident occurred..
According to reports, multiple sources have confirmed that Peter Livingston, his wife, Donna Smojice Livingston—a former Central Pennsylvania native—and their figure skating daughters were among the passengers who died in the recent American Airlines plane crash.
The couple’s two daughters, Alydia, 11, and Everly, 14, along with the crew and other passengers of Flight 5342, did not survive. The siblings’ last social media post featured them posing together at their recent event on January 24.
The post, which included numerous hashtags, read, “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 Livingston’s family friend, Cassandra Atkins, who lives in Australia, helped design some of the girls’ skating outfits through her Frozen Couture company. She’d never met the family in person, but kept up with Donna on a weekly or daily basis.
Cassandra would receive photos and videos of the siblings from their mother. The businesswoman reflected, “Donna was just like the most perfect mom. She really was. Like I said before those girls were everything to her, the center of her whole universe.”
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The last time Cassandra spoke to Donna was a week ago when they discussed designing new outfits for the girls. The parent revealed that her daughters liked standing out on the ice, preferring bright colors compared to the darker ones other skaters their age wore.
The family friend recalled this about the pair, “They just loved skating so much.” She added, “When they weren’t skating, they were roller skating, or they had wheels on their boots. They were always able to figure out a way.”
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The Livingston’s death was also mourned by The Skating Lesson Facebook page. Sharing two images of the girls, the page noted how Alydia was a rising ice dancer who earned a spot in the camp after teaming up with a new partner.
She was also the youngest skater on the plane. The little girl was recalled fondly, with the account stating, “Lydia, 11, was known for her vivacious personality and strong desire to improve on the ice – no matter the critique.”
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Her older sister was the opposite as she was more shy and reserved, only to come alive on the ice. She became a sectional champion at the intermediate and juvenile levels. The girls’ mother worked at Comcast while their father was a real estate agent.
The late couple was described as devoted spending many nights at hotels while splitting their time between Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia in recent months while raising skater daughters.
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The page added, “Donna will be remembered for her optimistic nature and Peter will be remembered for being a supportive dad who loved filming his girls anywhere and everywhere.”
The two siblings have been into the sport from a young age as seen on a December 3, 2022, Facebook post by a figure skating page. Sharing a picture of the two posing in the snow, the page revealed that Everly and Alydia were two and five at the time.
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That year, the sisters were nine and 12, and still figure skating. Sharing how much the children loved the sport, the account wrote, “Theirs [sic] father makes an ice rink in the garden for the girls every year. As the girls get bigger, year after year, the size of the rink also increases.”
In 2023, Everly was interviewed by Fox5 while at the Ashburn Ice House. When asked what the most fun was in being a figure skater, she replied that she liked the fact that the sport includes jumps and spins.
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The little girl confessed that the sport is hard but includes gracefulness, making the sport beautiful. The children’s parents also created a YouTube channel for them in November 2018. It showcased the pair’s skills and has 437 subscribers, 67 videos, and 86,534 views.
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On the evening of Wednesday, January 29, an American Airlines plane collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 jet struck a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter in mid-air.
The accident occurred at approximately 9 p.m. local time while the aircraft approached the runway at Reagan Washington National Airport. Among the 64 victims were US Figure Skating athletes, coaches, and family members.
At the time of the crash, the group was returning home from the previous week’s US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Some victims had participated in the championships held in conjunction with the National Development Camp.
By Thursday, 28 bodies had been recovered from the crash site. No survivors were expected, as emergency personnel transitioned from a rescue to a recovery mission.
The names of victims identified as members, coaches, and family of the US Figure Skating Team include the following, beginning with the Boston Skating Club (SC) athletes: Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine, as well as Jinna Han and her mother, Jin Han.
Boston SC coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also among those lost. Northern Virginia athletes Eddie Zhou, Brielle Beyer and her mother, Justyna Magdalena, and Cory Haynos also perished. Everly and Alydia were members of the Washington Figure Skating Club (FSC).
Another Washington FSC athlete who died was Franco Aparicio, while coach Inna Volyanskaya also lost her life. Additionally, the University of Delaware FSC lost athletes Sean Kay and Angela Yang, along with coach Alexandr Kirsanov.
On the same day as the crash, US Figure Skating released a statement on Instagram, noting in part, “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”
The FAA is collaborating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the investigation, with the NTSB leading the inquiry.