The human stories behind the biggest aviation tragedy in recent U.S. history are shocking after an America Airlines plane carrying 64 people collided with a military helicopter over Washington, D.C., resulting in a crash into the Potomac River.

According to the U.S. military, the crew chief of the military helicopter was Ryan O’Hara, who was the father of a boy. According to the same information, the pilot of the helicopter was Andrew Ives who had two children. “I ask that you pray for our family and friends and all the families suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve,” his wife asked.

At the same time, the names of the pilot and co-pilot of the America Airlines aircraft have been revealed. They are 34-year-old Jonathan Campos and 29-year-old Samuel Lilly, who, had recently become engaged and was a few months away from becoming a pilot. Tragic irony: Lilly had flown the same type of military helicopter in the same area where the plane crash occurred.

The two aircraft, which were carrying a total of 67 people (60 passengers in the plane and 4 crew and 3 crew in the helicopter), went down after colliding in the icy waters of the Potomac River, eliminating any chance of rescuing survivors.

Among the victims of the American Airlines plane were three students in the Fairfax County Public School system in Virginia, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reed said in a statement. They were joined by parents.

“We are devastated by the tragic news as we learn that members of our FCPS community lost their lives in last night’s crash at Reagan National Airport,” the statement on the school district’s website said.

“What we know at this time is that three of our students in FCPS and six of our parents in FCPS were lost, impacting many schools and departments here in FCPS,” Reid said. Two of the parents were current or former school district members, she added.

The plane’s victims included two Chinese nationals, according to the official Chinese news agency New China.

“After a preliminary investigation,” the embassy made it known that two Chinese nationals were “among the victims” of the air disaster that occurred as the passenger plane was on its final descent to land at Ronald Reagan International Airport, the agency explained.

At least two of the 60 passengers on the commercial aircraft were from Latin America, a source close to the Argentine government told CNN on Thursday.

One of them was an elderly man born in Argentina and the other was his son, also an adult and originally from Chile, the source added, without giving further details about their names or ages.

The Boston Skating Club had sent 12 of its children to a developmental camp in Wichita, along with their parents and coaches. By Wednesday morning, the skating community feared it had lost everything. The Boston Skating Club later called six victims, including two famous Russian figure skaters, 52-year-old Yevgenia Siskova and 55-year-old Vadim Naumov, who had won first place at the 1994 World Pairs figure skating championships.

Skaters Gina Hahn and Spencer Lane, along with their mothers Gina Hahn and Christine Lane, were also killed in the crash, the Boston Skating Club said.

A skating coach and two young skaters from Delaware died. “Aleksandr “Sasha” Kirshanov, Sean Kaye, and Angela Young of Delaware died in the plane crash,” said Senator Chris Koons.

More than 40 bodies had been removed from the Potomac River by late Thursday afternoon. Recovery efforts were halted in the evening and will resume Friday morning after first responders recovered eight more bodies Thursday, with 14 missing, according to CNN.

A crane is coming from Baltimore to assist in the operation. It is the crane used to remove parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed in March 2024. It will be used to cut and lift pieces of the plane to allow divers to safely recover additional victims.