THE heartbroken friends of the preteen ice skaters killed in the fatal crash between a passenger plane and a military helicopter have spoken out about the unspeakable tragedy.

All 67 people aboard the American Airlines flight and the Black Hawk helicopter were killed in the mid-air collision, which sent the two aircraft plunging into the Potomac River on Wednesday night.

As more than 40 bodies have been pulled from the fridge waters, devastating details have emerged about the passengers who died as they traveled from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington DC.

Young figure skaters and their coaches were identified as dozens of the victims, who had been traveling back from a skating development camp in Wichita.

At a skating rink in Arlington, Virginia, mourners have established a memorial to honor those killed as teams continue searching to recover victims from the water just 30 miles away

Members of Ashburn Ice House spoke to The U.S. Sun in the aftermath of the crash about the tragedy’s catastrophic blow to the skating community in Washington DC.

A 15-year-old girl who knew some of the victims became emotional as she spoke alongside her mom, who encouraged her to say a few words to remember her friends.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” the teen, who asked to remain unnamed, told The U.S. Sun.

“I didn’t think it was real, I just couldn’t process it. I miss them. They were my friends.”

She added about other victims, “The coaches were really hardworking. This is our rink. I’ve been skating here since I was three, I’m 15 now. I’m just trying not to cry.”

RINK MOURNS MEMBERS

At least three of the victims presumed dead in the crash skated at Ashburn Ice Center, including coach Inna Volanskaya.

Volanskaya, a former pair skater for the Soviet Union, worked as a skating coach at the center.

Lana Jones, 47, told The U.S. Sun she had fond memories of Volyanskaya from her time guest coaching at Ashburn for nearly a year.

“She was a lovely person, she always greeted me when I saw her in the morning,” Jones said.

“She was kind and soft-spoken. I appreciated her kindness, I will remember her for that.

“I know her students loved her and they worked hard under her.”

Brielle Byer, 12, and her mom Justyna Byer were also killed on the fated flight, leaving behind a heartbroken family, according to ABC affiliate WJLA-TV.

Wellesley Shomo, 41, a former ice hockey coach at Ashburn Ice Center, told The U.S. Sun the news hit him hard.

“It’s just sad. I just found out that some of the local kids here were on the plane crash,” he said.

“I grew up skating here, I coached here, so anytime you see any of the kids lose their future it’s sad.”

Shomo remembered the skating instructors as “great people” and “amazing coaches.”

“The skating community is one of the strongest communities you’ll have. It’s a very tight-knit group,” he said.

Rachel Eddinger, 22, said she didn’t know any of the victims but stopped by the makeshift memorial, made up of flowers and balloons, at the ice rink to pay her respects.

At the sight of people playing hockey in the rink, Eddinger said she hopes the tragedy doesn’t stop people’s love of figure skating.

“I think people should continue to skate, play hockey, figure skate,” she said.

“Think about those that we lost but keep carrying on.”

Skatequest, another local ice skating center about 25 miles from the site of the crash, also has a memorial set up to honor victims with flowers and stuffed animals.

‘MISS HER FOREVER’

Another victim remembered in the horrific tragedy is 30-year-old civil rights attorney Kiah Duggins.

Duggins’ friend Ryland Michele told The U.S. Sun it is an “absolutely tragic time for so many friends and families of the victims.”

“Kiah had the ability to make everyone feel at home the moment she entered a room,” Michele said.

Duggin, a Wichita native, was a two-time former Miss Kansas contestant who was set to become a professor at Howard University in the fall.

“She was not only a beauty queen on the outside, most importantly she was beautiful to the core,” Michele said.

“One of her best qualities was her passion to make everyone feel equal and loved.”

Michele, who met Duggins via the Miss Kansas Organization, said the activist will be remembered as a “beautiful and kind woman.”

“She had already built such a powerful legacy and had no intentions of slowing down,” she said.

She added her pageant family will “miss her forever.”

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk fact file

A SIKORSKY UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed into an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people on January 29. The collision happened as the jet was about to land at Reagan national airport. The three soldiers on board the helicopter and the 64 people on the plane died as both aircraft plunged into the freezing Potomac river.

Army personnel have used Black Hawk helicopters since the late 1970s.

Black Hawk helicopters don’t just transport troops; the flying machines are used in search and rescue missions, and deliver supplies to war-torn nations.

Here are some facts about the helicopter:

• Cost: Between $5.9 million and $10.2 million.
• Top speed: 183mph.
• Range: 1,380 miles.
• Engines: Powered by two electric engines that have 2,000 horsepower each.
• Length: 50 feet one inch.
• Height: 16 feet 10 inches.
• Troop capacity: Up to 11 fully equipped soldiers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the copter was training to evacuate government personnel in an emergency event.

“Without getting anything into anything that’s classified, there are many things that happen in and around the Capitol that ensure in a contingency, in an emergency, our government is able to continue to operate,” he told Fox News.

Hegseth previously revealed the helicopter’s pilots were wearing night goggles, but investigators are probing the eyewear.

Republican congressman Mark Green, who represents the told NewsNation the pilots should’ve been able to see the lights of the jet.

President Trump revealed the Black Hawk was flying “too high.”

Officials on the National Transportation Safety Board confirm they know where the copter’s black boxes are.

Along with the 64 aboard the American Airlines flight, three soldiers on the Black Hawk died when the military helicopter smashed into the passenger jet at a low elevation.

Horrifying footage showed the moment the plane, collided with the US Army helicopter, causing a bright flash to light up the sky.

The official reason for the crash remains a mystery, despite the American Airlines CEO placing fault on the helicopter and President Donald Trump blaming diversity efforts for unequipped staff.

However, The Federal Aviation Administration revealed the airport’s air traffic controller tower was reportedly short-staffed at the time of the crash, according to The New York Times.

‘CRITICAL POINT’

A preliminary report revealed the controller guiding the plane was doing two jobs at once – and the tower had been operating with a third of its recommended staff for years.

As the investigation continues, officials will likely be held legally accountable for the horrifying mishap, according to civil trial attorney Spencer Kuvin.

“It appears that the understaffing of our country’s air traffic control system has gotten to the critical point where tragedies are going to occur on a more regular basis,” Kuvin told The U.S. Sun.

“A full investigation into not only the crash, but more importantly into the systemic problems that have been developing over the years within the FAA, needs to occur.

“Congress should have special hearings to determine what the problem is and what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future.”