Franco Aparicio, 14, of Dunn Loring, a member of the Washington Figure Skating Club, died in the Jan. 29 plane crash. Photo by U.S. Figure Skating
Fairfax County residents Franco Aparicio,14 of Dunn Loring, Washington Figure Skating Club member and Fairfax County Public School student, and his father, Luciano (Lucho) Aparicio, and Franco’s coach, Inna Volyanskaya, of Oakton, died Jan. 29, when American Airlines Flight 5342 collided midair with U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The aircraft went down in the frigid Potomac River, breaking into multiple pieces. There were 64 passengers aboard the plane and three Army soldiers in the helicopter, according to officials.
"There were no survivors," Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) said Thursday, Feb. 6, during remarks on the Senate floor. He and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Virginia’s Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine spoke in support of a Senate resolution to commemorate the victims of the fatal plane-helicopter crash in Washington, DC, and honor the first responders.
Many of the victims were returning home to Northern Virginia from a national figure skating development camp in Wichita, Kansas.
"The collision is the deadliest America has witnessed in nearly 25 years, and I am heartbroken at the loss of life and the pain experienced by family, friends and loved ones of the victims," Moran said.
Sergey Korovin, coach of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia, said in an interview with News4 that he did not doubt that Aparicio would have become an Olympian: "He was like flying on the ice. He could stay on the ice for like two hours straight."
The Skater Spotlight of the Washington Figure Skating Club, "Remembering the Lives We Lost," published Feb. 2, 2025, described Franco as “a gracious, hard-working skater whose smile would light up the ice and who pursued excellence in everything he did."
"Franco was an athlete making his way up the ranks. He placed fourth at the 2025 Eastern Sectional Singles Final and first at the National Qualifying Series events in Austin and the Middle Atlantic Championships. This was his second year earning a spot at the national developmental camp," reported The Skater Spotlight of the Washington Figure Skating Club.
The U.S. Figure Skating Club reported that Volyanskaya, 59, became a coach in 2002. "[Inna Volyanskaya] impacted the lives of many skaters, and her influence on them will carry on," the Club said in a statement.
Volyanskaya was a pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union and won six international medals with Valery Spiridonov, including gold at the 1982 Nebelhorn Trophy. She played Ariel in Disney on Ice's "The Little Mermaid." Volyanskaya lived in Oakton.
Franco's father, Luciano Aparicio, was an accountant specializing in the energy sector and vice president of AES Corporation, a multinational power company.
"This is a time we must hold one another a bit closer," said Dr. Michelle Reid, superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools.
The Skating Club of Northern Virginia and Washington Figure Skating Club issued a statement on Instagram saying the two organizations remain "deeply committed" to supporting their skaters, their families, and the wider figure skating community.
"This heartbreaking accident has shaken the local skating community in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.— as well as in Boston and across the nation," the statement reads.
One week after the tragedy, the community continued mourning on Wednesday evening, Feb. 5. Residents and elected officials gathered at a vigil to remember all the DC crash victims who died in the midair collision outside Reagan National. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Arlington) led the vigil, and several other elected officials spoke, including U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins.
U.S. Figure Skating announced on Wednesday that they and Monumental Sports and Entertainment, Entertainment Gang, will host a star-studded live ice-skating tribute, "Legacy on Ice," to honor the victims of the mid-air collision.
"Legacy on Ice will honor the 67 lives lost and raise funds to support victims' families and the first responders and aviation professionals who worked tirelessly in the aftermath of the tragedy. All proceeds will be collected by the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and equally distributed to the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation's "DCA Together Relief Fund," and DC Fire & EMS Foundation," according to the release.
"As we begin to heal from this devastating loss, we look forward to honoring the enduring memories of these athletes, coaches, and family members who represented the best of the figure skating community," said U.S. Figure Skating interim CEO Samuel Auxier. "We can think of no better way of celebrating their legacies than through the sport they loved." The event will be March 2 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, the U.S, Senate considered and agreed to a resolution honoring the memory of the victims,
Sen. Mark Warner said, "In these moments of tragedy, there are moments of grace and heroic actions. … People drop everything, and literally there were first responders from 40 different jurisdictions."
Referencing Psalm 90, Sen. Kaine said, "All of our lives are temporal; all of our lives are mortal. … One of the most powerful bits of wisdom that we gain from that knowledge is the realization that we have to bind together in good times, yes, but especially in bad times. We have to join the community to help those who are suffering."
Inna Volyanskaya is survived by her husband, Jeremy Brent Wilson; daughter, Masha Spiridonova; stepson, Keagan Eduardo Wilson; father, Vitaly Volyansky; mother, Larisa Volyanskaya; sister, Olga Raskatov; brother-in-law, Artem Raskatov; niece, Angelina Stapelmann; nephew-in-law, Niclas Stapelmann; and nephew, Alan Raskatov.
Franco Aparicio and his father, Luciano are survived by mother and wife, Barbara and daughters and sisters, Isabella and Antonella,” according to Meal Train for Supporting the Aparicio Family in Their Time of Loss.
Earlier stories:
https://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2025/feb/05/tragedy-on-the-potomac/