They were known as the “Ice Skating Sisters.”

Alydia and Everly Livingston, of Ashburn, Virginia, represented the Washington Figure Skating Club in D.C. and were thrilled to be attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita last week.

On Thursday came the devastating news that Alydia, 11, and Everly, 14, were among those who died when an American Airlines flight from Wichita to Reagan National Airport collided with an Army helicopter and plunged into the Potomac River as it was about to land.

The girls’ parents, Peter and Donna Livingston, also were on the flight, along with other skaters, parents and coaches.

The plane had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, and the helicopter was carrying three soldiers. Authorities said Thursday there were no survivors.

Lydia was the youngest skater on the flight and was a “rising ice dancer,” according to a tribute Thursday on a Facebook site called The Skating Lesson. It said she had recently teamed up with a new partner and had earned a trip to the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the competition.

Lydia “was known for her vivacious personality and strong desire to improve on the ice — no matter the critique,” the tribute said.

Older sister Everly, it said, “was shy and reserved compared to her sister, yet came alive on the ice — becoming a sectional champion at the intermediate and juvenile levels.”

The girls’ mother, Donna, was a Comcast employee, it said, and father, Peter, was a real estate agent. They were described as being “among the most devoted parents — trying to manage raising two skaters and spending numerous nights in hotels while splitting time between New Jersey, Michigan and Virginia in recent months.”

“Donna will be remembered for her optimistic nature and Peter will be remembered for being a supportive dad who loved filming his girls anywhere and everywhere,” it said.

Alydia and Everly have a large following on social media, where their accounts are filled with photos and videos of them in competitions across the country and on various skating adventures. Their YouTube channel describes them as “sisters who love skating and often each other.”

Both girls had to deal with injuries in their young careers. Everly, also known as Evy, tore her meniscus and underwent surgery to repair it last year. She returned last fall to compete again.

“It’s hard to believe that just 19 days after being cleared to compete and 17 days since Evy’s first NQS competition her season has already ended,” said an Oct. 7 post on the girls’ Ice Skating Sisters Facebook page, adding that she’d been able to compete in Seattle, Austin and Boston. She had only a day or two between each competition to prepare for the next one, it said.

“Given at the beginning of all this we weren’t even sure she would be able to compete this year we couldn’t be more proud of how she has done,” the post said. “All three series she came in first in her group, she won the Austin Classic at the Intermediate level and finished the season with the third highest score in the country.”

Evy’s goal for this season was to make it back to the U.S. Figure Skating Development Team again, according to the post, “and she has punched her ticket to the Eastern Sectional getting her one step closer to that.”

She reached that goal in November.

“The season is officially over and Everly is walking away with another step in her figure skating journey with making the USFS high performance development team for the 2024-2025 season,” said a Nov. 17 post on the sisters’ Instagram page. “We are so proud of everything she overcame this season with her injury. There are truly no words.”

Lydia suffered a broken ankle two years ago, which led her to turn to ice dancing, as noted in a Sept. 7 post on the girls’ Facebook page.

“The final countdown to @u.s.solodance Nationals is on!” it said. “Couldn’t be more excited to compete against the best solo dancers in the country. This season was filled with so many highs and Alydia is walking away with so many amazing memories. She even meddled at every competition this season. Very happy she found dance after her broken ankle injury two summers ago as it’s allowed her to really play up her fun and energetic personality.”

As the search for victims continued at the crash site Thursday, condolences from around the country poured in on numerous social media sites.

“The whole family. May they be skating together in the beyond,” said one. “The loss for those that loved them is unimaginable.”

‘The girls were amazing … just like their dedicated parents!!” wrote another. “Such a heartbreaking loss to everyone who knew them.”

And one parent wrote: “Before we began our family’s ice skating journey, Everly and Lydia were such an inspiration to my girls. It’s heartbreaking to think of how much love and dedication their family poured into this sport, only to face such an unimaginable tragedy on their way home. We were left speechless and couldn’t stop crying.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends.”

A Jan. 24 post on their sisters’ Facebook page — which appeared to be their final note — showed a photo of the two standing together at the rink in Wichita.

“We were born ready for this but is @usfigureskating ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?” it said.

At 9:55 a.m. Thursday, someone wrote: “You will never be forgotten.”

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