Figure Skater Jon Maravilla Clears up Reports His Dog Saved Him From Fatal D.C. Flight
"I was just with them having them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time,” figure skater said of the plane crash victims.
Published Jan. 30 2025, 12:23 p.m. ET
Amid the tragedy of 64 passengers being victims of an American Airline collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, figure skater Jon Maravilla is hugging his dog a little tighter.
Reports surfaced on Jan. 29 that Jon's dog saved his life. Soon after, he confirmed that wasn't exactly the case.
Here's what the skater has said about the life-changing coincidence.
Jon Maravilla missed the fatal American Airlines flight due to his dog's size.
Jon spoke out about nearly being a casualty of Flight 5342 with Russian news agency RIA Novosti, via People. He told the outlet he planned to board the flight but was told he couldn't due to restrictions that would make it difficult for him to bring his dog on the plane. Jon was left with no other choice but to travel back to Washington from Kansas by car, which he later documented on Instagram Stories, per Instagram account @fs.delight.
The account also shared another update on Jon's statement. The figure skating fan account called the story "amazing and uplifting" and praised the dog for unknowingly saving its owner's life. Jon has since clarified to The Daily Beast that he never intended to get on the flight, as he had a ticket for a Delta flight before being told he couldn't take his dog with him.
"I can’t believe it. I was just with them having them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time," he said of the skaters who unfortunately went on to board the American Airlines flight.
As was reported on Wednesday, Jan. 29, the flight out of Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport collided with the helicopter over the Potomac River as it attempted to land at Ronald Reagan Airport in D.C.
When news of the crash surfaced, U.S. Figure Skating confirmed that many of its members were involved in the crash. Russian figure skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were confirmed to have been onboard during the tragedy. The longtime couple were on the flight in support of their son, figure skating champion, Maxim Naumov, who had competed in Kansas the day before.
At this time, there are no known survivors of the plane crash.