Jon Maravilla, Skater Who Was in Kansas with Team, Says He Missed Flight Because of His Dog, but Not the Doomed D.C.-Bound Plane
Jon Maravilla said he was not able to board a Delta Airlines flight from Wichita to Atlanta because of the size of his dog
A U.S. figure skater who was in Kansas with his teammates said he was not allowed to board a plane because of his dog, but not the American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C.
Speaking with The Daily Beast, Jon Maravilla said he was denied entry to board a Delta Airlines flight from Wichita to Atlanta before connecting on a second flight to Detroit on Wednesday, Jan. 29, because of the size of his dog.
He then reportedly posted on his Instagram Stories about the incident from inside the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport with the caption: “Not allowed past gate to board flight. Get me out of Kansas, please.”
The update contradicts the reporting from Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Maravilla was scheduled to be on the doomed flight to D.C.
Maravilla told the outlet that he did not know where that news came from and said he "still can't believe" what happened to his friends.
"I was just with them watching them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time," he added.
Fourteen U.S. figure skaters, including six members of The Skating Club of Boston, were among the 64 people killed onboard the American Airlines plane, CEO Doug Zeghibe announced at a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 30.
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The victims from The Skating Club of Boston have been identified as two teens, Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, their mothers, Molly Lane and Jin Han, and two coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former Russian world champions.
In a statement provided to PEOPLE, U.S. Figure Skating confirmed that members from their community were on the flight.
"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.," the Jan. 30 statement read.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas," the group added.
"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available," the statement concluded.
[Editor's Note: This story has been updated. U.S. figure skater Jon Maravilla says he was denied entry on a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta, not the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter in D.C. on Wednesday. This has been corrected in the current text.]
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