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What we know about the victims of the plane and helicopter crash outside DC

Nbcwashington · · 4160 words · By NBC Staff
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What to know about What we know about the victims of the plane and helicopter crash outside DC

Sixty-seven people died after an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.

Claims checked 36
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Sixty-seven people died after an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.

Why it matters

A search-and-rescue operation involving more than 300 first responders continued as a recovery operation Sunday.

Common ground

Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/who-was-on-plane-crash-victims-list-pot…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 36 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 26
help Insufficient Evidence 7
check_circle Corroborated 3
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Claim 1: “Christine Lane was the mother of Spencer Lane. Zeghibe said she had accompanied her son on the trip back from the National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 2: “Tommy Clagget was another one of the friends who were traveling back from an annual duck hunting trip in Kansas, his family revealed.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search results or Wikipedia entries to support Tommy Clagget's travel plans or family statements.
schedule
Claim 3: “Jonathan Boyd was the longest-tenured steamfitter in the UA Local 602 group that was flying home from Kansas. He had been with the union for two decades.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 4: “Steve Johnson, 45, was with a group of friends who were traveling back from a hunting trip in Kansas, The Wichita Eagle reported.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 5: “Vadim Naumov was also a former world champion and coach of the Skating Club of Boston. The 55-year-old won the pairs figure skating event at the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships with Shishkova, according to the club website.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 6: “Figure skater Brielle Beyer, 12, and her mother, Justyna Magdalena Beyer, were on board the flight, Justyna's sister, Mariola Witkowska, confirmed to NBC News.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 7: “Campos was a 2015 graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 8: “Following her graduation, she achieved the roles of captain and pilot-in-command. She served as a White House Military Social Aide at several events, supporting the president and first lady at events like the Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremonies.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search results or Wikipedia entries to confirm Captain Lobach's role as a White House Military Social Aide.
check_circle
Claim 9: “A search-and-rescue operation involving more than 300 first responders continued as a recovery operation Sunday.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results consistently report over 300 first responders participating in search-and-rescue operations following the crash. Multiple sources mention the scale of the recovery effort.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Divine Mercy Sunday (also known as the Feast of the Divine Mercy) is a feast day that is observed in the Roman Rite calendar, as well as some Anglo-Catholics of the Church of England (it is not an off…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Mercy_Sunday
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of aviation shootdowns and accidents during the Twelve-Day War based on visual evidence or official self-admision from involved parties. It includes proven helicopters, fixed-wing aircr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aviation_shootdowns_an…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fiel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspaper
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 10: “Mikey Stovall was aboard the flight with seven friends, his mother, Christina Stovall, told NBC Washington.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 11: “Samuel Lilley, 28, was serving as First Officer on the American Eagle jet, his stepmother confirmed to NBC News.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 12: “Sarah Lee Best and Elizabeth 'Liz' Keys, two associates of Washington law firm Wilkinson Stekloff, were aboard the flight, their employer confirmed to The Wall Street Journal.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 13: “Sasha Kirsanov, a figure skating coach at the University of Delaware, was killed in Wednesday's crash, the college said in a release.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 14: “Charles 'Charlie' McDaniel was one of four members of the UA Local 602 who died in the flight.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 15: “Kiah Duggins was confirmed to be a passenger on the plane by her parents.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 16: “Spencer Lane, 16, was a figure skater and member of the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts. The club's CEO and executive director, Doug Zeghibe, confirmed he was on board.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 17: “Inna Volyanskaya, an ice skating coach in Ashburn, Virginia, was also on the plane, according to a post from U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam. Volyanskaya competed internationally then performed in ice theater, according to the website for Ashburn Ice House, where she coached.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 18: “Danasia Brown was the other flight attendant on the plane, her cousin-by-marriage, Carolyn Edwards, confirmed to NBC News.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 19: “Jinna Han, 16, was a figure skater and member of the Skating Club of Boston. She and Spencer Lane were talented athletes and young leaders, Zeghibe said.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 20: “Jonathan Campos was the pilot of the American Eagle flight.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 21: “On behalf of her family, the U.S. Army confirmed that the third soldier aboard the Black Hawk helicopter was Captain Rebecca Lobach of Durham, North Carolina.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search results or Wikipedia entries to confirm the identity of the third soldier aboard the Black Hawk helicopter.
schedule
Claim 22: “Keys had just turned 33 when she was killed in the collision, her partner David Seidman told The Washington Post. The couple met at Georgetown Law School. Keys earned her bachelor's degree at Tufts University and competed on the school's varsity sailing team for four years, according to statement from her mother, Mary Keys.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 23: “Butler Community College in Kansas announced the loss of biology instructor Lindsey Fields.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 24: “Franco Aparicio was remembered for being 'a gracious, disciplined and kind-hearted figure skater who pursued excellence in everything he did' in a statement from the Ashburn Ice House.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search results or Wikipedia entries to verify the description of Franco Aparicio provided by the Ashburn Ice House.
schedule
Claim 25: “Ian Epstein was a flight attendant on the plane, his sister, Robbie Epstein Bloom, confirmed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 26: “Julia Kay, Sean's mother, was also a victim on Flight 5342. Her husband Vitali said she died in the crash with their son.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 27: “Melissa Jane Nicandri, 28 of New York, was among the passengers on the American Airlines flight, New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 28: “Asra Hussain was returning from a business trip in Wichita, and her husband, Hamaad Raza, was waiting at Reagan National Airport to pick her up.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 29: “The young pilot began her Army career as a 'distinguished' ROTC cadet at the University of North Carolina, graduating in the top 20% of cadets nationwide, according to a statement from her family.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search results or Wikipedia entries to verify details about Captain Rebecca Lobach's ROTC career.
schedule
Claim 30: “Evgenia Shishkova was a former world champion and a coach of the Skating Club of Boston. The 52-year-old had 20 years of coaching experience, according to the club website.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 31: “Sixty-seven people died after an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm the collision and death toll. Web search results and Wikipedia entries (2025) detail the mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport, resulting in 67 fatalities.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Air Mail scandal, also known as the Air Mail fiasco, was a political controversy that erupted in 1934 following a congressional investigation into the awarding of airmail contracts to select airli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Mail_scandal
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — American Airlines Flight 320 was a scheduled flight between Chicago Midway Airport and New York City's LaGuardia Airport. On February 3, 1959, the Lockheed L-188 Electra performing the flight crashed …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines_Flight_320
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — As of September 2025, Turkish Airlines operates a fleet of 388 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The airline started its operations in 1933 with only five planes. In 1945, the airline bought over 30 cheap D…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Airlines_fleet
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 32: “Taylor was traveling with her daughter, Olivia Ter, who was one of the four elite youth figure skaters on the plane. They were flying home from the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search results or Wikipedia entries to support the claim about Olivia Ter and the figure skaters.
help
Claim 33: “Franco was flying home from Wichita, Kansas with his dad, Luciano.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search results or Wikipedia entries to confirm Franco Aparicio's travel itinerary with his father.
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Claim 34: “Olesya Taylor, 50, was among the passengers on the American Airlines flight, her husband, Andrew Ter, confirmed to the Washington Post.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm Olesya Taylor was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 5342, with her husband Andrew Ter providing confirmation to the Washington Post. Multiple sources cite this detail.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia occupied Crimea and annexed it from Ukraine. It then supported Russian separatist armed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events from the year 1986 in the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_in_the_United_States
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of notable deaths in January 2025. Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence: Name, age, country o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_January_2025
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 35: “Mark Peters, CEO and president of MITRE, confirmed the death of Kaiyan Mao who was onboard Flight 5342 when it crashed into the Potomac River.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 36: “A statement from the University of Delaware also confirmed the loss of two skaters from the UD Figure Skating Club. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., identified the two skaters in a statement Thursday night as Sean Kay and Angela Yang.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.