NEWARK, Del. - In a letter from University of Delaware President, Dennis Assanis, a former UD Figure Skating Club coach, Alexandr ‘Sasha’ Kirsanov was among those who died in the plane crash over Washington D.C. Wednesday night.
"I am incredibly saddened to share the news that several members of the figure skating community connected to the University of Delaware were among those who tragically lost their lives." said Assanis.
Kirsanov was remembered by his students in a touching Instagram post.
"Our hearts are completely shattered as we process the unimaginable loss of our former coach, Sasha, and two incredible skaters from our rink in last night’s tragic plane crash," the post reads. "Sasha was more than just a coach—he was a mentor, a friend, and a light in the skating world."
Alongside Kirsanov, two young ice dancers, Angela Yang and Sean Kay, were killed.
A photo of the skaters from Yang's Instagram.
"The figure skating community is tight-knit, and many of our students and coaches have trained and competed alongside those who were lost." said the UD president.
An image from UD Figure Skating paid tribute to the three lives lost in a DC plane crash.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that there were no survivors of the crash that occurred at about 8:53 p.m. Wednesday. The American Airlines flight was coming from Wichita, Kansas and over Washington D.C. when it collided with an Army helicopter.
