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Spencer Lane's TikTok videos. The young figure skater is believed to be among the victims of deadly Washington plane collision.
Screengrabs via TikTok/Spencer Lane

‘Please be okay’: Heartbreaking messages flood social media of young figure skater believed to have been on fallen Washington plane

The naturally gifted skater attended Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov's National Development Camp in Wichita.

As more information is learned about the passengers of Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter and crashed into Washington’s Potomac River near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, the magnitude of the tragedy begins to take shape. Among those aboard is believed to have been young figure skater Spencer Lane.

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Lane posted a photo to his Instagram stories Wednesday evening, showing the wing of a plane. The caption read “ICT → DCA” which are the International Air Transport Association codes for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, respectively.

Spencer Lane Instagram Story aboard a plane flying from Wichita to Washington D.C., believed to be the same plame that was hit by a helicopter on Wednesday.
Image via Instagram/Spencer Lane

With the timing of the post and the route matching those of Flight 5342, it has been reported that Lane was most likely among the 64 people aboard the plane. The regional jet that was hit by a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter minutes before it was set to land in D.C..

As a result, the young man’s social media has been flooded with devastating messages of prayers. “Oh Spencer, please be okay,” said one commentator. “Praying that you’re okay, Spencer,” added another.

On TikTok, the last video he posted showcases his incredible figure skating skills as he performs a triple toe loop jump. On Instagram, he bid farewell to the National Development Camp for top juvenile figure skaters that some of the other passengers also attended over the past week in Wichita. It was held in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships, which had concluded on Jan. 26.

“I am so happy to have qualified for national development camp earlier in November, it has been my goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing,” Lane wrote.

In the post, containing multiple photos of Lane and his friends, the young figure skater also thanked former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, whom Russian media has confirmed were likewise aboard the flight. He finished by thanking “all the amazing friends, coaches, and faculty that I have met over the last week,” noting “it was such an amazing experience.” The Reddit Figure Skating community also united in prayer underneath one of Lane’s several posts.

Over on X, those who follow the figure skating scene closely, said Lane has “one of the biggest natural jumping talents I’ve ever seen” and that his “progress in only a couple of years was mindblowing.”

https://twitter.com/thildakm/status/1884877633587978631
https://twitter.com/sadovskies/status/1884889125758628324

In November, Lane came first in the US Eastern Sectionals Intermediate Men’s Final with a total of 117.04 points, per Skating Scores. He also won gold in that same category at the Providence Open in August and at the Philadelphia Summer Championship in July.

As of writing, CNN reports that “27 bodies from the American Airlines passenger jet and one from the military helicopter have been recovered.” DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said in a Thursday morning news conference that “we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.” “We’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” he added. We should reiterate that Lane’s presence on the plane has not been confirmed by authorities. As this story develops, our hearts are with the families of the passengers.


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Author
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Francisca Tinoco
Francisca is a pop culture enthusiast and film expert. Her Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences from Nova University in Portugal and Master's Degree in Film Studies from Oxford Brookes University in the UK have allowed her to combine her love for writing with her love for the movies. She has been a freelance writer and content creator for five years, working in both the English and Portuguese languages for various platforms, including WGTC.