News of the plane crash that claimed the lives of 67 people Wednesday night near Washington, D.C. hit close to home for Nancy Kerrigan. Kerrigan, the former U.S. figure skating champion, is an alumna of the Skating Club of Boston.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Olympic Gold Medalist and Tennessean Scott Hamilton shared a message after learning that members of the figure skating community were on board American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a military helicopter on Wednesday night near Washington, D.C.

In addition to winning two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, he helped transform a niche sport into the showpiece of every Winter Olympics.

Englewood native Dick Button, an Olympic champion figure skater who became one of the voices of the sport for ecades, died Thursday at age 95.

The tight-knit figure skating community was rocked Wednesday when an American Airlines flight carrying athletes, parents and coaches from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.

Magic Johnson, Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir, Scott Hamilton and others from the sports world reacted on social media to the tragic D.C. airplane crash Thursday.

As the first repeat Olympic champion to his groundbreaking work as a television analyst, Dick’s expertise and passion challenged generations of athletes to be better while building a fan base that remains today.

On Jan. 25, his position in U.S. skating history was formally recognized when Wilson was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.