The wife of a Delaware skating coach, Alexandr "Sasha" Kirsanov, shared her grief after learning of her husband's death in the mid-air collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. Natalya Gudin, also a skating coach, expressed her devastation to WPVI, recounting the decision that led to her husband's fateful trip to a development camp in Wichita, Kansas.

The crash claimed 67 lives, including several members of the figure skating community returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Gudin lamented the loss of her husband, students, and friends in the tragedy.

University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis confirmed Kirsanov, a former coach with the university, was among the victims, along with two young skaters from the UD Figure Skating Club. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) later identified the young skaters as Sean Kay and Angela Yang.

Coons expressed his condolences, highlighting the tragic loss of those pursuing their passion for figure skating. Kirsanov's daughter, Nicole, also shared a heartfelt tribute on social media.

Kirsanov was a highly accomplished coach with extensive national and international experience. His loss is a profound blow to the figure skating community.