Once again, figure skaters representing the past, present and future of the sport perished in a catastrophic plane crash.

Two highly-regarded Russian figure skating coaches whose son recently finished fourth at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships were among those feared dead after an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River Wednesday night.

Victims of the plane crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday night were contestants in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held from January 20 to January 26 in Wichita,