The tragic deaths of former Russian world champion figure skaters Vadim Naumov, 56, and Evgenia Shishkova, 53, occurred on January 28, 2025, when an American Airlines aircraft and a Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair close to Washington, D.C. The couple was returning from the US Figure Skating Championships when they spoke with their 23-year-old son, Team USA skater Maxim Naumov, who was proud of his fourth-place result. However, Maxim had already left Kansas and was not on the flight.
Flight 5342 was carrying a number of figure skaters, coaches, and family members as it returned from the National Development Camp. The 60-passenger regional jet collided as it got closer to Reagan National Airport. Sadly, the plane and helicopter crashed into the Potomac River, and the wreckage was recovered by emergency response teams.
Leningrad natives Shishkova and Naumov were well-respected in the figure skating community and took home the 1994 World Championship together. Maxim followed in their footsteps as a figure skater after they relocated to the United States in 1998 to coach. Fans and the International Skating Union offered their sincere condolences for the untimely death.
