Skating Club of Boston marks one year since Washington crash with Legacy and Light memorial events

Community remembrance planned in Norwood as aviation and skating worlds mark anniversary

The Skating Club of Boston is set to host public “Legacy and Light” events marking one year since the Jan. 29, 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed all 67 people aboard an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter. The crash claimed six members of the Skating Club of Boston community and was among the deadliest U.S. aviation disasters in more than two decades.

On the club’s calendar, the commemorations are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, alongside the U.S. Synchronized Skating International Classic being held at the Norwood facility. The club has described the program as including a moment of silence, on-ice performances by select national team skaters, and an open skate.

Local victims included two young skaters, their mothers, and two veteran coaches

Among those killed were Skating Club of Boston skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, as well as their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane. Also aboard were coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, a married pair who won the 1994 world championship in pairs skating and later coached in the Boston area.

U.S. Figure Skating previously said that 28 members of the figure-skating community—skaters, coaches and family members—died in the collision while returning from a national development camp held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

Memorial plans include scholarships, a renamed rink, and an on-site reflection space

The club has also outlined longer-term memorial elements through an “Always Champions” initiative. Plans include two permanent annual scholarships—one honoring Han and one honoring Lane—along with the renaming of the club’s West Rink as the “Always Champions Training Rink.” The rink project includes a tribute wall with photos and stories remembering the six people from the club who died in the crash.

Outside the facility, the club has described enhancements intended to create a reflection space, including memorial plaques and the planting of two weeping cherry trees near the entrance area.

• Two annual scholarships tied to the families of Han and Lane
• Renaming of the West Rink as the “Always Champions Training Rink”
• Tribute wall honoring the six club community members who died
• Outdoor memorial elements including plaques and two weeping cherry trees

Investigation and safety actions continue to shape the broader anniversary

The collision remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. In the months after the crash, federal aviation authorities announced operational changes around Reagan National Airport aimed at reducing risk in mixed helicopter and fixed-wing traffic, including restrictions on certain helicopter routing and procedures while the investigation proceeds.

One year on, the club’s memorial programming reflects both grief and continuity: remembrance for those lost, and a public invitation to gather on the ice in their honor.