Young US figure skater blasts wild online rumor he was turned away from doomed American Airlines flight at last minute

A YOUNG figure skater has debunked a viral online rumor that he was denied entry to the ill-fated American Airlines plane that crashed with a Black Hawk helicopter.

Dozens on the doomed flight are feared dead after the plane plunged into the Potomac River near Washington DC on Wednesday night.

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Jon Maravilla, 19, isn't sure how the rumor started but confirmed on Thursday he was never supposed to be on American Airlines flight 5342.

On Wednesday afternoon, the skater shared live updates on his Instagram as he awaited the flight from Wichita, Kansas, to the US capital.

At one point, he shared a picture of the airport and wrote that he wasn't allowed past the gate.

"Get me tf out of Kansas please," he said.

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Maravilla, who is from Michigan, later shared a picture of himself driving on the road and said, "14-hour journey begins."

It comes as...

• All 64 passengers are feared dead with at least 28 bodies pulled from river
• CCTV captures moment of the crash
• Chilling audio reveals the final moments of flight
• World champion figure skaters confirmed to be on board
• Figure skater shared final, tragic picture from inside the plane before takeoff
• Husband reveals wife's final text from doomed jet
• Rescue efforts hindered by freezing & dark conditions with 12 hours before severe weather comes
• American Airlines CEO blames Black Hawk pilots
• Trump blames Obama and Biden's DEI polices at FAA for crash
• American Airlines pilots and crew named
• Passenger names beginning to be released, including teens, parents, and coaches

But the teen later confirmed to the that he was slated for a Delta flight to Atlanta with a connection to Detroit.

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It was that flight he was denied entry to due to his dog, Yuki.

Though the identities of victims haven't been confirmed, Maravilla claimed that 14 skaters, as well as parents and coaches, were on board the flight.

He said he didn't want to "name names" and said the horrific crash was a "tragedy."

While Maravilla drove home from Witchita, dozens boarded Flight 5342, and the plane took off without a hitch.

As it approached the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport just before 9 pm, a US Army-operated Black Hawk on a training mission appeared to zoom right in its path.

The two aircraft then exploded in a deadly fireball, and the passenger plane shattered into three pieces and sank into the icy black waters of the Potomac.

If everyone is confirmed to be dead, this will be the deadliest US air crash in nearly 24 years.

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SKATING TRAGEDY

Athletes, family members, and coaches were all in Wichita for the US Figure Skating Championship.

The competition ended on Sunday, but several top-tier skaters stayed for an elite training camp that was held in the days afterward.

Another young US skater, Spencer Lane, shared a now-devastating picture on Instagram from inside the plane.

He also spoke online about how grateful he was to have participated in the days of training.

World champion Russian skaters Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shiskova, who now work as coaches, were also on the flight.

They appeared to coach Lane, who shared pictures of himself smiling with the couple after a competition in Pennsylvania.

DEVASTATING COLLISION

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and officials confirmed that flight conditions were clear Wednesday evening.

American Airlines CEO said the military aircraft "came into the flight path," but new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Army crew was "fairly experienced."

The ink-black night and frigid waters hindered rescue efforts, and the response quickly turned to a recovery mission.

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Thursday's morning sun revealed little sign of the crash, as only a few pieces of wreckage stuck out of the eight-foot waters.