FACT CHECK: Viral Threads Post Falsely Claims Figure Skater Jon Maravilla Was Turned Away From Fatal DC Flight

A viral post shared on Threads claims figure skater Jon Maravilla was purportedly turned away from Flight 5432, which recently collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C.

Verdict: False

Maravilla was flying from Kansas to Atlanta and then Detroit, according to KBTX and The Daily Beast, respectively.

Fact Check:

A collision between Flight 5432 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter resulted in the deaths of 64 passengers and three soldiers, according to ABC News. Among the dead are 14 people who were returning from a figure skating development camp in Wichita, Kansas, the outlet reported.

The Threads post, which has amassed over 16,000 likes as of writing, claims Maravilla was purportedly turned away from Flight 5432, which recently collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C.

“MIRACLE: U.S. figure skater Jon Maravilla arrived to board Flight 5342 which crashed last night, but he was turned away at the gate because his dog was too big. Jon Maravilla posted on social media that had to drive for what he thought was an inconvenient 14 hours, but those hours and his dog saved his life,” the post reads.

The post includes what appears to be a photo shared to Maravilla’s Instagram story indicating he was preparing to embark on a 14-hour travel day.

The claim is false. According to KBTX, Maravilla posted on Instagram that he was denied boarding a flight out of Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport due to his dog’s size. In a follow-up post, Maravilla clarified that he was flying to Detroit, not Washington, D.C.

“Hey guys just want to clarify, these stories are not true, I was flying to Detroit. I was not supposed to be on the DC flight,” he wrote. “My heart goes out to the victims and I cannot believe this is real. I am still in shock… too many friends gone too soon,” he wrote, according to KBTX.

Likewise, The Daily Beast reported that Maravilla was catching a flight from Kansas to Atlanta “before connecting on a second flight to Detroit,” not Washington, D.C. In addition, USA Today debunked the claim on Jan. 31, citing the report from The Daily Beast. (RELATED: Video Doesn’t Provide Full Context To Police Stop)

Check Your Fact has contacted Maravilla for comment.