American Airlines plane crashed in D.C. just 24 hours after eerily similar near-miss between jet and helicopter

A rider formation had to abort landing astatine Reagan National Airport successful Washington DC the time earlier American Airlines Flight 5342 collided successful midair with a helicopter. 

Republic Airways Flight 4514 was forced to backmost retired of touching down and had to marque a 2nd attack aft a chopper appeared adjacent its formation path. 

That's according to an audio signaling from aerial postulation power captured connected Tuesday and heard by The Washington Post. 

Flightradar information for the formation shows the level had been travelling from Windsor Locks successful Connecticut to the metropolis and had to dramatically summation altitude soon aft descending connected Reagan National Airport. It yet landed safely.

The incidental is eerily akin to the events of Wednesday night, erstwhile an American Airlines level smashed into a US Army Black Hawk chopper as it came into onshore astatine the airport.

The craft collided successful a huge fireball that was disposable connected dashcams of cars driving connected highways that snake past the airport, and crashed into the river. 

Sixty-four radical - 60 passengers and 4 unit - were onboard and each died, officials said.

Three soldiers had been wrong the chopper astatine the clip of the incidental and had been connected a grooming mission. They besides died successful the collision bringing the decease toll to 67. 

At slightest 40 bodies person since been pulled from the Potomac River pursuing extended betterment missions by exigency teams. 

A preliminary study has said that aerial traffic power staffing astatine the airdrome was 'not mean for the clip of time and measurement of traffic. 

Reagan National has been understaffed for galore years, with conscionable 19 afloat certified controllers arsenic of September 2023 - good beneath the people of 30 - according to the astir caller Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The concern appeared to person improved since then, arsenic a root told CNN the Reagan National power operation was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing astatine aerial postulation power towers is thing new, with well-known causes including precocious turnover and fund cuts. Controllers often enactment 10-hour days, six days a week, to capable the void.

The preliminary clang study elaborate that the deficiency of unit meant the controller monitoring and directing helicopters adjacent DCA was besides instructing planes landing and departing connected the runways.

Usually, 2 controllers would grip these roles, arsenic unit usage 2 antithetic vigor frequencies to speech to planes and chopper pilots.

While the controller is talking to them, the pilots of each craft whitethorn not beryllium capable perceive each other.

At slightest 3 minors - including fig skaters Spencer Lane, 16, and Jinna Han - are among the victims who died. 

Famed Russian skating mates Evgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, alongside Lane and Han's mothers besides tragically lost their lives successful the crash.

The bodies of each 4 formation unit members - including 1 who was specified months distant from a promotion and wedding - were besides recovered from the debris connected Thursday. 

The pilots of the American Eagle pitchy were Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed. 

And some formation attendants who were connected that tragic formation person been revealed arsenic Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder. 

Three unidentified Fairfax County students and six parents - 2 who were unit members - besides died, the schoolhouse territory confirmed. 

'Many connected the formation were returning from a fig skating lawsuit successful Wichita, Kansas,' the territory said.  Lane and Han were besides coming from the skating event.