Max Naumov Reaches Olympic Team After 2025 Crash That Killed His Parents

Overview

• Naumov earned bronze at the 2026 U.S. Championships and was selected for Team USA, publicly honoring his late parents with a photo after his skate.
• American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk over the Potomac on Jan. 29, 2025, killing all 67 aboard, including many tied to U.S. Figure Skating.
• The NTSB’s January 2026 final report identified FAA helicopter route placement near a runway approach and the system’s reliance on visual separation as the probable cause.
• Contributing factors cited included the helicopter’s recorded 278-foot altitude on a 200-foot-or-lower route, air traffic control loss of situational awareness, Army training standards, and airline scheduling practices.
• A U.S. government legal filing admitted partial fault, saying a DCA controller violated visual separation procedures and the Army pilot failed to see and avoid, while also assigning some blame to American and PSA Airlines.