Originally appeared on E! Online
Spencer Lane shared one final photo on social media from the airplane from Wichita, Kansas, before it crashed into a helicopter prior to landing in Washington, D.C.
The 16-year-old—who was among the 67 victims of the Jan. 29 plane crash—posted a picture from inside American Eagle Flight 5342 that included a look at the plane’s wing hours before the tragedy. He wrote “ICT->DCA” on his Instagram Story, indicating the Wichita and D.C. airport codes.
Lane was among a group of 14 figure skaters and their coaches, including his mother Christine Lane, 49, aboard the plane who were traveling back from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. The young skater reflected on his accomplishments in another post shared on the day of the crash.
“Nationals + ndc!! I am so happy to have qualified for national development camp earlier in november,” Lane captioned his Jan. 29 Instagram carousel post of photos and videos from his time in Kansas, “it has been my goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing. I learned so much new information that I can apply to my everyday life, and met so many amazing people!”
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He went on to thank a variety of people and organizations before writing, “huge thank you to all the amazing friends, coaches, and faculty that I have met over the last week, it was such an amazing experience.”
The teenager and his mom are survived by Spencer’s father Doug Lane, and his younger brother Milo Lane, who was also adopted from South Korea. His grandfather, Wayne Conrad, said that the family was “still in a state of shock” in the wake of unimaginable loss.
Spencer Lane, Instagram Story
“They were greatly appreciated when we had them with us and there were lovely people, creative forces in their own way,” Conrad told People. “Christine in photography and graphic arts and Spencer and creative endeavors as in figure skating competitively.”
“Both parents really supported him a hundred percent in this endeavor,” he added. “So you can’t ask for more than that when you pick a goal and you get everybody in the family behind you saying go for it, which everybody did.”
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Lane’s father also spoke out in a statement honoring the lives of his late son and wife.
“Our family is devastated by the loss of Christine and Spencer,” he said in a statement to People. “Christine exuded creativity throughout her life, using her formal graphic design training as a jumping-off point for seemingly endless creative pursuits across areas such as photography, quilting, knitting, and more.”
“She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo,” he continued. “She was also a lover of animals, and we lost track of how many dogs she helped place in loving adoptive homes.”
The father went on to call his late son “a force of nature.”
“You simply could not stop him if he decided he wanted to do something,” Doug said of Spencer. “There is no better example of this than his remarkable skating journey, which we are heartbroken to see end too soon. He truly loved it, and his ascent from basic Learn to Skate classes to U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Team in just a few short years was unprecedented.”
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In the days since the collision, officials have expressed their belief that no one survived the plane’s crash into an army helicopter over the Potomac River.
“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said during a press conference, per NBC News. “At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.”
Keep reading for more on the devastating accident.
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What Happened to the Passengers on American Airlines Flight 5342?
On the evening of Jan. 29, American Airlines flight 5342 traveling from Witchita, Kan., to Washington, D.C. collided with a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter near the Reagan Washington National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter. The plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members and the helicopter, which had three people aboard, crashed into the Potomac River.
The passenger jet, a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-700 series twin-engine jet, was operated by American Airlines’ subsidiary airline, PSA Airlines.
What was first a rescue mission has become a recovery operation, District of Columbia fire chief John Donnelly confirmed Jan. 31 that all 67 passengers in both aircraft are presumed dead.
“At this point, we do not believe there were any survivors,” the official said at a Jan. 30 press conference. “We will work to find all the bodies and reunite them with their loved ones.”
As officials put the pieces together surrounding the horrific incident, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared that the helicopter was in a “standard flight pattern” during the collision and was aware of the plane in the vicinity.
“Last night, the helicopter was in a standard pattern,” he explained at the press conference. “If you live in the D.C. area, you’ll see helicopters up and down the river, this flight pattern is seen oftentimes when you live in D.C.”
Who Was Onboard American Airlines Flight 5342?
Among the 60 passengers were 14 American figure skaters, coaches and family members who were at a camp in Wichita, Kan., according to U.S. Figure Skating.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,” the governing body shared in a statement obtained by NBC News. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”
World champion Russian figure skating duo Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who wed in 1995, were also onboard, Russian state media confirmed.
“Bad news from Washington today,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, per NBC News. “We grieve and console with the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash.”
Hamaad Raza, whose wife was also on the American Airlines flight, was waiting for her at the international airport.
“I’m just praying that somebody’s pulling her out of the river right now as we speak,” he told CBS affiliate WUSA9. “That’s all I can pray for. I’m just praying to God.”
A Cedarville University student, Grace Maxwell, was also onboard the flight after attending her grandfather’s funeral, the university said in a Jan. 31 press release.
Who Was Onboard the U.S. Army Helicopter Involved in the Collision?
The helicopter was from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Public Affairs Deputy Director for Joint Task Force-National Capital Region/Military District of Washington Ron McLendon II confirmed to NBC News.
The official shared that the aircraft was in the middle of a training mission at the time of the collision.
What Happens Next After Recover Efforts for American Airlines Flight 5342?
The FAA, U.S. Army and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the collision, with the latter taking the lead. The Pentagon has also initiated its own investigation.
While there are still more questions than answers, former NTSB and FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti told Today that the air traffic control communications that night are “going to be scrutinized by the NTSB, that controller will be interviewed and the radar data will be looked at by the NTSB.”
Investigators recovered two black boxes—which record the information from the flight and its route—that belonged to the airplane Jan. 30, the NTSB told NBC News.
Who Has Spoken Out After American Airlines Flight 5342 Crashed Into the Potomac River?
President Donald J. Trump shared his condolences about the tragedy.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport,” the White House statement said. “May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
Ilia Malinin, the men’s figure skater who won his third consecutive U.S. figure skating title in Witchita Jan. 26, confirmed he was not onboard the flight. He wrote on his Instagram Stories, “I hope and pray for everyone who was on that flight is OK.”
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu also expressed her grief, saying at a press conference that their “hearts are heavy as a city.”
“We mourn with all those who have been impacted,” she said. “This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C., and Wichita, Kansas, forever.”
Two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan shared an emotional message to reporters about the crash that claimed the lives of six skaters from Skating Club of Boston, where the athlete also formerly trained.
“I just wanted to be here and be part of our community,” Kerrigan said through tears. “When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it’s an even bigger blow.”
