Teacher says teen skater killed in Wichita flight crash was a ‘bright light of pure joy’

Rising teen figure skater Edward Zhou, 16, and his parents are among those believed to have been killed when a military helicopter crashed into American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., leaving no survivors.

Zhou and his parents Joe and Kaiyan lived in suburban Virginia outside Washington. The New York Times and skating social media page The Skating Lesson have reported that Zhou and his parents died in the crash. His parents “were known for always being at the rink and traveling together everywhere.”

Zhou earned a spot in the U.S. Figure Skating developmental camp in Wichita after placing fourth in the novice division at the eastern sectional competition in Norwood, Massachusetts, in November.

Zhou “was tiny when he first learned how to skate, but he was fearless and unafraid of trying anything new,” The Skating Lesson wrote. “It has been said that his coaches loved coaching him because he always smiled and laughed every time he fell. Edward was known for relentlessly cheering on the other skaters.”

He was coached by Kalle Strid and Mikael Olofsson of the NOVA Vikings. Like several of the young victims and their parents, Zhou was part of a tight-knit skating community in Northern Virginia that has been devastated by the tragic plane crash and included 16-year-old Cory Haynos and 12-year-old Brielle Magdalena Beyer, who also died in the crash.

“I lost my 3 little kids in that flight and their families,” Strid wrote on social media Thursday.

Authorities said Thursday that the plane crash on Wednesday evening left no survivors. Sixty passengers and four crew members were aboard the flight from Wichita, while the military helicopter was carrying three soldiers. The incident remains under investigation.

Julie Barker Little, a teacher, posted on Facebook a letter she wrote to the superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools as a tribute to Zhou, writing that “he was everything you could hope for in a student, in a young man, in a fellow human being.”

“He was magic!” Barker Little wrote.

She taught Zhou in a trailer for Spanish class during the 2021-22 school year as Frost Middle School was in the middle of renovations. It was loud and dusty, and sometimes the ground shook from vehicles rumbling past the room.

“But when sixth period came around, I knew, no matter the weather, no matter how much dust came blowing in the door when it opened, or how much noise would be coming through the paper-thin walls from other classes — that nothing could diminish the bright light of pure joy that was Edward Zhou,” the letter says.

Zhou had one of the strongest desires to learn of anyone Barker Little has taught in more than 30 years of teaching and came to class bustling with energy.

“Often, he left me slack-jawed at the connections he was making, showing that he was thinking critically about how to know, say and do more in the language,” Barker Little wrote. “He was always taking what he learned and running with it and it was exhilarating to have such a joyful, earnest, hard-working student show so much genuine curiosity in your subject!”

Zhou was more than an eager student, she wrote, but also genuine and humble. He only spoke of skating if asked.

“There were several big-shot athletes in the class and they had no idea how successful Edward was in his sport — not a clue,” the letter says. “He was understated in his success and after one trip away for a competition, I wanted to shine a spotlight on where he had been and how it went. He approached the chance to speak of his success with understated humility, while explaining to us the differences between a lutz, toe loop or an axel.”

Zhou was the epitome of a kind, loving and compassionate gentleman, in addition to his academic drive, Barker Little wrote. He would bow out of respect when she handed back his work, hold the door open for others, and willingly pair up with students who no one else wanted to work with.

“When someone spoke, he turned around to face them, giving them his full attention. If someone’s things accidentally fell to the floor, Edward would jump up to help them collect their things like it was no big deal,” the letter says. “His head was on a swivel as he soaked up this thing called ‘life.’”

Zhou stood out from the beginning and received an end-of-year award in Spanish.

“The world lost a beautiful light last night, such a bright, hopeful beacon,” Barker Little wrote. “Descansa en paz, mi querido alumno. Te amo.”

Zhou’s Instagram page says was a member of the national developmental team four years in a row and includes videos of him and his fellow athletes performing skillful moves on the ice. He is seen skating and posing with fellow teen skaters who died in the crash.

He also posted about other milestones in his life as a student: a 5 in AP Precalculus, a trip to the University of California, Berkeley campus, his sweet sixteen birthday.

Bonnie Lewis, a coach with the Kansas City Figure Skating Club and originally from the Washington, D.C. area, said Zhou skated at the same rink where she grew up skating. She said he recently landed the triple axel, a famously difficult move. His fellow skater Cory Haynos, who was also on the plane with his parents, had also landed the move at the camp in Wichita.

Livia Lai Piano Studio wrote in a Facebook post that Zhou was just three years old when he first joined Lai’s group music class at the Jordan Kitt’s Music School.

“Edward was funny, intelligent, compassionate, curious, enthusiastic and kind,” the post says. “Edward will be deeply missed.”

The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee contributed reporting.

This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 5:11 PM.