Christopher Dean fights back tears as Dancing On Ice pays emotional tribute to US plane crash victims

The pilots’ identities have been revealed

DANCING On Ice’s Christopher Dean fought back tears on tonight’s show while paying tribute to the victims of the Washington air disaster.

Last week 67 people died, including members of an American figure skating team, when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commercial American Airlines flight as it was coming in to land at Reagan Airport.

Man speaking on television.

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Christopher Dean paid tribute to victims of the Washington plane crash tonightCredit: ITV
Wreckage of a plane and helicopter in the Potomac River with rescue boats.

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Sixty-seven people died in the tragedyCredit: EPA

Taking a moment to reflect on the disaster, Olympic legend Christopher said: “Fourteen members of the skating community lost their lives and it’s felt across the world.

“We want to send our sincere condolences to all the family and friends who lost loved ones that day. Our thoughts are with you right now.”

Host Holly Willoughby called it “horrific” and “unbelievably sad” acknowledged Christopher choking up, telling him she knew how much he was moved by the incident.

The jet’s pilots have been named as captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and first officer Samuel Lilley, 28.

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US president Donald Trump suggested the military chopper was “flying too high by a lot” seconds before the crash.

It is understood the helicopter pilots had requested a predetermined flight path, referred to as Route 4, from air traffic control.

This would have allowed the Black Hawk, which was carrying three “fairly experienced” pilots wearing night vision goggles, to fly at low altitude along the bank on the east side of the river.

But the doomed chopper flew higher and further away from the bank than it should have done, ­officials told The New York Times.

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The helicopter should have flown below 200ft but it is claimed it had ascended to more than 300ft when it hit the plane.

In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “The Black Hawk ­helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200ft limit.

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“That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”

Mr Trump has signed an executive order demanding an immediate assessment of aviation security.

Investigators have already started analysing the black box data recorder recovered from the plane.

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Two television presenters on stage.

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Stephen and Holly shared Christopher’s sentimentCredit: ITV
Screenshot of Dancing on Ice contestants on the ice.

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The physical toll of Dancing On Ice is starting to tell, with a series of injuries revealedCredit: ITV