Figure Skating Sisters Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, Along with Their Parents, Die in Washington Plane Crash – Details
The recent plane crash in Washington, D.C., claimed the lives of two sisters who competed in figure skating. When the tragedy occurred, the two were headed home after competing in the most recent championships in Wichita.
According to reports, a number of people, including Peter Livingston, his wife, Central Pennsylvania native Donna Smojice Livingston, and their figure skating daughters, have verified the victims’ names. They were among those who perished in the jet tragedy operated by American Airlines.
Along with the crew and other passengers on Flight 5342, the couple’s two children, Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, perished. Posing together at their recent event on January 24 was the brothers’ most recent social media photo.
Through her business, Frozen Couture, Cassandra Atkins, an Australian family friend of the Livingstons, assisted in creating some of the girls’ skating attire. Despite never having seen the family in person, she communicated with Donna on a monthly or daily basis.
Their mother frequently sent Cassandra pictures and videos of the siblings. “Donna was just like the most perfect mom,” she remarked, looking back on their connection. She was. As I already stated, those girls were her entire world and everything.
One week ago, Cassandra and Donna had a conversation about creating new clothes for the girls. According to Donna, her daughters enjoyed making a statement on the ice by wearing bright colors instead of the darker ones that other skaters their age usually wore.
Cassandra recalled the girls’ enthusiasm of skating, saying, “They just loved skating so much.” “They were roller skating or they had wheels on their boots when they weren’t skating,” she continued. They always managed to find a solution.
The Skating Lesson Facebook page also expressed sadness on the passing of the Livingstons. The page shared pictures of the sisters and featured Alydia as a new ice dancer who had gained a place in the camp by partnering with a new partner.
In addition, she was the plane’s youngest skater. According to the page, “Lydia, 11, was known for her vivacious personality and strong desire to improve on the ice – no matter the critique.”
Her elder sister, on the other hand, was more reserved and quiet and only came to life on the ice. At the intermediate and juvenile levels, she emerged as a sectional champion. Their father was a real estate agent, while the children’s mother was employed at Comcast.
The late couple was characterized as loving parents who, in recent months, divided their time between Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia to support their daughters’ skating careers, staying in hotels a lot.
The post added that “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.”
According to a Facebook post from a figure skating page on December 3, 2022, the sisters had a strong interest in the sport since they were little. The website shared an old photo of Everly and Alydia smiling in the snow, revealing that they were two and five years old at the time.
The sisters, who were nine and twelve years old at the time, were still participating in figure skating. “Theirs [sic] father makes an ice rink in the garden for the girls every year,” the account added, highlighting their passion for the sport. Year after year, the rink’s size grows along with the girls’ size.
Fox5 conducted an interview with Everly at the Ashburn Ice House in 2023. She said that she appreciated the fact that figure skating involved spins and leaps when asked what she liked best about the sport.
The young skater acknowledged that figure skating is a wonderful sport since, although difficult, it also calls for grace. In November 2018, their parents also made a YouTube channel for them to showcase their abilities. As of right now, the channel has 86,534 views, 67 videos, and 437 subscribers.
Near Washington, D.C., on the evening of Wednesday, January 29, an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines aircraft collided. The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 jet collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter in midair, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
At Reagan Washington National Airport, the accident happened as the plane was approaching the runway at around 9 p.m. local time. The 64 victims included family members, coaches, and figure skating athletes from the United States.
The party was on its way home from the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, the week before, when the incident occurred. A few of the victims had competed in the championships that were organized alongside the National Development Camp.
Twenty-eight bodies had been collected from the disaster site by Thursday. Emergency workers switched from a rescue to a recovery operation, therefore no survivors were anticipated.
Starting with The Skating Club (SC) of Boston athletes, the following names of victims have been recognized as members, coaches, and relatives of the US Figure Skating Team: Jinna Han and her mother, Jin Han, and Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine.
The 13-year-old figure skater Jinna gained notoriety for her efforts in the Eastern Sectional Singles Final in 2025. She competed in the novice women’s free skate division at the time. Her composure, technical prowess, and dominating stage presence earned her recognition.
She gave exceptional performances at SC Boston’s Ice Chips show in 2023. In praising her skills, SC Boston CEO and Executive Director Doug Zeghibe said she was “in it to win it, full of grace, a serious competitor but so nice about it and so supportive of her fellow competitors… just a delight but for a little 13-year-old just full of grace.”
“I am saddened by the loss of everyone on that DC flight, but especially so by the loss of Jinna Han,” wrote journalist and skating aficionado Kat Cornetta in a post on X, expressing her sorrow over the loss. She was an exceptional skater.
Regarding Jinna Han, Kat has written about her previously. She had before commended the late athlete’s skill and commitment to the game. “London and her friend Jinna Han, a shining star lost in the plane crash, will continue to inspire us,” Tashema Lindsey wrote in a post that included Jinna’s mother and her friend London. London is in mourning![..] Just really heartbroken! [sic]”
Among those lost were coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova of SC Boston. Athletes Cory Haynos, Justyna Magdalena, Brielle Beyer and her mother, and Eddie Zhou from Northern Virginia also died. Everly and Alydia belonged to the Figure Skating Club (FSC) in Washington.
Franco Aparicio was another Washington FSC athlete who passed away, and coach Inna Volyanskaya also died. The University of Delaware FSC also lost coach Alexandr Kirsanov and athletes Sean Kay and Angela Yang.
In a statement posted on Instagram the day of the collision, US Figure Skating said, among other things, “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is spearheading the investigation, with the FAA working alongside the NTSB.
