ORLANDO, Fla. — Skaters who call a Maitland ice rink their homebase practiced and performed in Wichita this week alongside many victims who died in the tragic mid-air collision in D.C.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
BJ Shue Chapman says she didn’t sleep at all Wednesday night.
She and her son, skater Timmy Chapman, just returned home Tuesday after he competed in the national figure skating championship in Wichita
But many of their friends were just returning home Wednesday.
Many who were on board American Airlines flight 5342.
“It looks like there are 26 people. It’s about half the plane of people that were associated with us or my son or his partner or our friends,” Shue-Chapman said.
Many of the victims include young skaters, part of the National Figure Skating Development Camp, that cheered on Chapman and others skaters this week.
“They are our future. These are the kids that are so excited to be watching the higher-level skaters,” Shue-Chapman said.
Among the victims, 13-year-old Jinna Han seen in this video posted by U.S. Figure Skating in Wichita.
Read: American Airlines jet pilot graduated from Daytona Beach flight school
Shue-Chapman says skaters and their families sang happy birthday to Jinna just days ago.
“You see this little girl who is 13-years-old and has a bright future ahead of her, is in the same sport as your kid. And it is just heartbreaking,” Shue-Chapman said.
She says this large loss of many young lives and their families will be felt throughout the small ice skating community.
But she says they are resilient.
“Figure skating is, you know, get up. You know, we fall down in practice, and we get up. And I think that the people that were on that plane would want I’m sorry, would want them to continue. But I do think it’s going to take time. Excuse me. I’m so sorry. I do think it’s going to take time to rebuild.”
Computer issues cause temporary ground stop nationwide for Frontier Airlines
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
Sign Up
