A close family friend is speaking out after the tragic mid-air collision that killed the Livingston family aboard American Airlines Flight 5342. Donna Livingston, her husband Peter, and their daughters Everly (14) and Alydia (11) were flying home to Virginia from an elite ice skating camp when the plane collided with a U.S. Army helicopter, killing all 67 people on board.
Just before takeoff, Donna sent joyful photos to longtime friend Jin Ah Longerbeam—one showing her daughters smiling in their seats, another of her and Peter together. The heartbreaking images are now a reminder of a life cut short.
Longerbeam tearfully recalled the girls as “my little babies,” and her son Wolfe, who trained with them, said they were beloved in their skating community. When the crash was reported, the pair rushed to the airport, hoping for a miracle. “Wolfe kept saying, ‘They’re gonna be cold, we have to make sure they’re warm,’” Longerbeam said.
Friend Ted Boyke described Peter as a devoted father who once built a backyard ice rink for his daughters during the COVID lockdown.
Authorities have recovered 41 victims’ remains, with 28 identified. The cause is still under investigation, though early reports point to possible pilot error by the Army helicopter.
The tragedy has left the community in mourning, with final memories captured in photos of a happy family who never made it home.