The ice skating community in Maryland and nationwide is reeling in the aftermath of a deadly midair collision involving a passenger jet carrying 64 people, including athletes, coaches and family members flying into Washington, D.C., from the national figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas.

Rescue crews have recovered dozens of bodies from the icy Potomac River after an Army helicopter, manned by three soldiers, crashed into the American Airlines flight Wednesday night while it was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Officials believe no one survived.

While the crash is under investigation, the identities of some victims, including youth skaters returning from what U.S. Figure Skating described as a national development camp held in conjunction with the championships, have begun to come to light. They include several young skaters and their parents from the Skating Club of Boston as well as the 1994 pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia, now coaching in the U.S.

For the skating community, which many have described as small and tight-knit, the deaths have hit close to home.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Ting Cui, a 22-year-old competitive figure skater from Pikesville. “This is a tragedy that is currently shaking up the entire skating community. We’re all devastated.”

Cui was in Wichita last week to compete in the women’s short program and free skate events before flying home over the weekend. But many of her fellow skaters, including some friends, stayed for the remainder of the championships.

She knew two of the competitors, their parents and one of the coaches who were on the downed flight, she said. They were from Delaware, where Cui had once trained.

One of the victims was “a good friend of the family and one of my biggest supporters,” she said.

Catherine Lee, who serves on the board of the Gardens Figure Skating Club in Laurel, said her community is hurting. Competitive skaters spend a lot of time together training, traveling and competing. Many socialize off the ice during the off-season or after practice. The community, she said, develops “deep bonds.”

Lee’s children skate, and her son competes locally. She ran Gardens’ May Day Open Competition from 2008 to 2023, which once attracted about 450 competitors. Though many victims remain to be identified, she is certain she would have at least crossed paths with some of the skaters or their coaches.

A memorial set up at Cabin John Ice Rink in Montgomery County in honor of the crash’s victims featured tea lights and bouquets of flowers. A spokeswoman for Montgomery Parks said an email that they are offering counseling support to ice rink staff and skating instructors. “Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and the skating community during this very difficult time,” she said.

Others across the state took to social media to mourn the tragedy.

Olivia Ilin and Dylan Cain, who ice dance together and trained in Rockville, said they were “beyond devastated” for the loss of skaters, coaches and their families.

The skating community is family and this loss deeply impacts us,” they said in a joint statement on Ilin’s social media. “Our most heartfelt condolences go to all our friends and loved ones as our community navigates this tragedy.”

Luke Wang, a professional pairs figure skater from Ellicott City, posted on his social media with the emoji of a broken heart: “praying for all those on the flight from wichita to dc. among the passengers were skaters and coaches. absolutely heartbreaking.”

In a statement, Tom Connors, general manager of the Columbia Ice Rink, said: “Needless to say, this has been a difficult day for those who practice the sport and those of us who serve and care deeply about that community. It is a tight knit collection of remarkable athletes, and the team at the Columbia Ice Rink and all of us across [the Columbia Association] are here to support as best as we can. Our hearts go out to all the victims of the crash and their loved ones, including those who have ties to skating.”

The Washington Figure Skating club, which has a home rink in Rockville, said in a statement that the community is “devastated” in light of the crash: “Our thoughts and prayers are with our skating family during this difficult time.”

Black Bear Sports Group, which owns Ice World, a rink in Abingdon, posted a statement extending “deepest condolences to everyone affected by this devastating event.”

Baltimore Banner reporter Darreonna Davis contributed to this report.