Ludmila Velikov trained Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov when they were children and told Reuters the couple was like family to her.

Ilya “Sean” Kay, 11; Angela Yang, 11; and Alexandr “Sasha” Kirsanov, 46, were traveling from the National Development Camp in Wichita last week when American Airlines flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport.

Two Russian figure skating coaches with Connecticut ties were among those killed after an American Airlines flight and Army helicopter collided and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River Wednesday night.