The report claimed the American figure skater was banned from boarding the flight because his dog was too large to fit in a carrier, prompting him to make the drive instead.

There are no expected survivors from the crash, as the plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three people on board.

U.S. figure skater Jon Maravilla was reportedly not due to travel on the commercial airplane that collided with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C.