JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — A former Central Pennsylvania native along with her husband and two kids are among those who died in a plane crash Wednesday night when it collided with an army helicopter near Washington D.C.
WTAJ confirmed with various sources that Donna Smojice Livingston along with her husband Peter and two daughters Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, were among the passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 5342.
Livingston, who was a former resident of Johnstown, was a graduate of Westmont Hilltop School District and recently lived in Ashburn, Virginia. Most of Livingston's family still lives in the Johnstown area.
This picture of Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11 was taken by their father three days ago in Kansas(Left to right) Alydia, 11, and Everly, 14, daughters of Donna Smojice Livingston.Everly, 14.Everly, 14.Alydia, 11, and Everly, 14.Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11.Everly, 14.Everly, 14.Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11.
U.S. Figure Skating confirmed the plane's passengers included several of its members. A makeshift memorial grew at the Ashburn Ice House in Virginia where the club's general manager said some of their members were on board, including Livingston's daughters.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to all the people affected by the terrible plane accident last night. It is with heavy hearts that we have learned that our figure skating community has been directly affected. As we learn more, we will follow up with additional information.
The figure skating community is a close-knit, worldwide family and our hearts go out to all affected by this terrible tragedy.
Statement released by the Ashburn Ice House
The Nittany Valley Figure Skating Club also expressed their condolences to the families and the loved ones of the victims in a post on social media.
"The skating community is reeling from the horrific plane crash last night that tragically claimed the lives of 14 individuals who were part of our small but tightly-knit skating world. Many of us have lost personal friends, and it is with the heaviest of hearts that we mourn the loss of skaters, coaches, and their families," The club said in a post.
They also said that in honor of those who had passed, they'll be holding a moment of silence at the start of Club Ice to reflect on their lives and the impact they made in their communities.
Family friend Cassandra Atkins lives in Australia and designed several skating outfits for the girls through her business Frozen Couture. Although she never met the family in person, she said she kept up with Donna on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, getting pictures and videos of the girls sent to her all the time.
"Donna was just like the most perfect mom," Atkins said. "She really was. Like I said before those girls were everything to her, the center of her whole universe."
Atkins said she last spoke with Donna a week ago about designing new outfits for the girls. She said Everly and Alydia liked to standout on the ice, and preferred bright colors over the darker tones others their age would wear.
"They just loved skating so much," Atkins said. "When they weren't skating, they were roller skating, or they had wheel s on their boots. They were always able to figure out a way."
The American Airlines flight was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport when a military Black Hawk helicopter collided with the commercial jet during a training exercise and plummeted into the Potomac River. The collision was the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years.
Officials are continuing to investigate the incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
