LOUDON COUNTY, Va. — As investigators continue to piece together what caused a military helicopter and plane to collide near Reagan National Airport, many others are spending their night in mourning after learning their loved ones are gone.
CBS 6 attended an event at Ashburn Ice House on Thursday night honoring a family who is presumed dead after the crash.
From the outside looking in, it looked like practice as usual for young athletes on the ice. But beyond the glass was a growing array of flowers, cards and stuffed animals.
Athletes and families came to pay their respects at a growing memorial for a coach, young teammates and families who are presumed dead from the flight that crashed into the Potomac River Wednesday night.
Watch: Richmond ice skating community reacts to D.C. plane crash
"I can't say that I've been right since then," Sye Smith, a friend of the victims, told CBS 6.
Smith learned his former coworker and her young family of skaters were on the flight.
"I felt sick and my heart hurt," he said. "It hurts. You never want to hear of the loss of life, but when you hear the loss of life of children, you now have a whole 'nother spin that just devastating. It's heartbreaking."
Smith's friend were part of a number of athletes and their parents connected to this facility who were returning to DC from attending training sessions at the the US Figure Skating Championships in Kansas
"They set up a rink in the backyard for the girls," Smith said. "They are lovely people, fun. They love their children. They were very active. To know that that joy is now a dim light, that's hard."
The facility put out a statement saying, "the figure skating community is a close-knit, worldwide family and our hearts go out to all affected by this terrible tragedy."
"Very sad, very, very sad," Smith said.
Heartbreak and shock continue to consume many in Virginia and across the country as more names of victims are shared with friends family and many young teammates.
"At least their happiness, they're together, as painful as it is, at least they're together," Smith said. "Look at your loved ones tonight, hug them."
The secondary runway where the plane was descending to land remains closed. NTSB and first responders plan to continue recovery efforts and their investigation first thing in the morning.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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