Potomac Crash

‘They just adored him': Rhode Island skater among those killed in DC plane crash

Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine, were two of the people who were on board an American Airlines flight that collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday night

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NBC10 Boston interviewed Jinna Han during the 2022 Olympics. The skater, who hoped to make the Games herself, is one of six members of the Skating Club of Boston who was killed in the midair collision in Washington.

Rhode Island native and figure skater Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine, were two of the people who were on board an American Airlines flight that collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday night, killing everyone on board.

The head of the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts, confirmed Thursday that Lane and his mother were among six people from their organization that were on the flight, along with another teenage skater and her mother and two coaches.

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Doug Zeghibe, CEO and executive director of the Skating Club of Boston, described Lane as a talented athletes and young leader among the club's skaters. His family was also very involved.

A collision between a commercial flight and a military helicopter left 67 people dead, including members of the New England skating community.

Lane was the 2025 intermediate eastern sectionals champion, and had become popular among the skating community on social media, where he has thousands of TikTok followers. On Wednesday, he had posted a video showing him doing a triple toe loop to wrap up the development camp.

“I am so happy to have qualified for national development camp earlier in November. It has been my goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing. I learned so much new information that I can apply to my everyday life, and met so many amazing people,” Lane had said in an Instagram post Wednesday.

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He later posted a photo of him aboard the plane just before it departed from Wichita.

Elin Schran, president of Joy Skate Productions and daughter of Olympian Dr. Tenley Albright, said Lane did his first professional show this December in Cambridge with Joy Skate, having never done one before, and was nervous beforehand. But afterward, "he came over, he was just beaming," Schran said.

She recalled him saying, "'I get it now, I understand.' And he started to discover this connection with the audience and that joy."

He'd asked to skate with her team again, and she'd reached out to other people to look out for him since he was so talented.

"Brilliant and so kind," Schran said. "He was great backstage, that matters to me even more than the on-stage talent with these kids."

Lane and his mother were from Rhode Island, Rep. Seth Magaziner said in a social media post.

Lane’s father said Spencer had an infectious personality.

“In his home club in Boston, he was just loved by everyone from the adults running the club to the smallest skaters to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics,” Douglas Lane said. “They just adored him.”

Lane was a former student at Barrington High School in Rhode Island. School Superintendent Robert Wargo said in a statement that the school district is "deeply saddened" by the news that Lane and his mother were among those killed in the plane crash.

"Spencer attended Barrington High School through late 2023 before transitioning out of BHS to pursue a promising career in figure skating," Wargo said. "He and his mother were traveling with National Development Team figure skaters, families, and coaches after attending the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas."

"Our entire Barrington community mourns with the Lane family, the Skating Club of Boston, and all who knew and loved Christine and Spencer Lane. Spencer was a talented and driven young athlete with a bright future, and this is an unimaginable loss... We will remember Spencer for his compassion, dedication, and tenacity, and we will honor the memory of both Christine and Spencer by spreading kindness, positivity, and unity in our district."

The Warwick Figure Skaters, where Lane used to skate, also shared a statement saying they were "heartbroken" to learn that he and his mother were on board the flight.

"Spencer began his skating journey at WFS. He was always a bright light at our rink. He was kind and a friend to so many of his fellow skaters. He was a fiercely determined and fearless skater, always challenging himself. He was in love with the sport from the beginning and it showed. He was always excited to be on the ice and was a joy to watch. Our hearts are with his father, Doug and his brother, Milo, the rest of his family and friends, as well as the families and friends of the other passengers on board. The sport of figure skating has lost so much today."

Residential Properties, where Christine Lane worked, also issued a statement saying they were "shocked and saddened" to learn of her death.

"Though she was a recent addition to our company, she quickly became a cherished member of our team. Christine’s love and dedication to her children, and her support of her son Spencer's passion for figure skating, is truly inspiring. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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