Disney star-skater Inna Volyanskaya was pronounced to be one of the victims found dead in the Washington plane crash. The mid-air collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter took the lives of 67 people in total.
January 29, 2025, went down as an extremely tragic night in the history of the United States as the tragic collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter left no survivors. The collision between the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and the Sikorsky H-60 helicopter occurred near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The helicopter was reportedly out on a training flight and was flying out of the Davison Army Airfield, while the plane was carrying passengers who were traveling from Kansas to Washington. The airplane and helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after the mid-air collision.
300 first responders worked tirelessly through the night to carry out a search and rescue mission. 60 passengers, 4 crew members, and 3 military personnel lost their lives in the incident. 40 bodies have been recovered so far and the death count has been officially declared to be 67.
A recent report revealed that ice performer Inna Volyanskaya was one of the people who lost their lives in the crash. The Disney star-skater was a mother to two young children. Several other U.S. and Russian figure skaters were also killed in the plane crash.
Suhas Subramanyam who is the Virginia Representative paid his condolences to the star’s family while confirming her death. “It’s confirmed that none of the 67 people in last night’s crash survived, including members of our community like Inna Volyanskaya, an ice skating coach in Ashburn,” the politician confirmed.
Inna had played the roles of Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel at Disney during the span of her ice skating career. The star’s ex-husband Ross Lansel spoke to the press during this difficult time.
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“She was one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen, honestly,” Lansel noted. He also shared that Inna was one of the best “pair girls to skate.” The star’s ex-husband also spoke about the “impact” she made on young athletes that she coached. “I wish all those kids she taught—just my condolences and all my prayers go out to them,” Ross added.
Inna’s biography at the Washington Figure Skating Club states that she has been a beloved coach to young athletes for 15 years now. She started out her career as a skater for the Soviet Union National Team. She secured the first-place medal twice in the Soviet Union Cup.
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According to her Ashburn Ice House bio, the ice skater also won gold, silver, and bronze medals in various international competitions. Volyanskaya was a student at the Moscow University of Physical Culture while in Russia.
A recent report by CNN revealed that 40 bodies had been recovered so far from the crash site. The authorities also shared that they do not expect any survivors of the tragic accident. A crane is reportedly being brought in to help with the efforts to recover the 14 bodies that are missing.