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

A passenger flight had to abort landing at Reagan National Airport in Washington DC the day before American Airlines Flight 5342 collided in midair with a helicopter. 

Republic Airways Flight 4514 was forced to back out of touching down and had to make a second approach after a helicopter appeared near its flight path. 

That's according to an audio recording from air traffic control captured on Tuesday and heard by The Washington Post. 

Flightradar data for the flight shows the plane had been travelling from Windsor Locks in Connecticut to the city and had to dramatically gain altitude shortly after descending on Reagan National Airport. It eventually landed safely.

The incident is eerily similar to the events of Wednesday night, when an American Airlines plane smashed into a US Army Black Hawk helicopter as it came into land at the airport.

The aircraft collided in a huge fireball that was visible on dashcams of cars driving on highways that snake past the airport, and crashed into the river. 

Sixty-four people - 60 passengers and four crew - were onboard and all died, officials said.

Three soldiers had been inside the helicopter at the time of the incident and had been on a training mission. They also died in the collision bringing the death toll to 67. 

At least 40 bodies have since been pulled from the Potomac River following extensive recovery missions by emergency teams. 

A preliminary report has said that air traffic control staffing at the airport was 'not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic. 

Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023 - well below the target of 30 - according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The situation appeared to have improved since then, as a source told CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing at air traffic control towers is nothing new, with well-known causes including high turnover and budget cuts. Controllers frequently work 10-hour days, six days a week, to fill the void.

The preliminary crash report detailed that the lack of staff meant the controller monitoring and directing helicopters near DCA was also instructing planes landing and departing on the runways.

Usually, two controllers would handle these roles, as staff use two different radio frequencies to talk to planes and helicopter pilots.

While the controller is talking to them, the pilots of each aircraft may not be able hear each other.

At least three minors - including figure skaters Spencer Lane, 16, and Jinna Han - are among the victims who died. 

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

The bodies of all four flight crew members - including one who was mere months away from a promotion and wedding - were also recovered from the debris on Thursday. 

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

And both flight attendants who were on that tragic flight have been revealed as Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder. 

Three unidentified Fairfax County students and six parents - two who were staff members - also died, the school district confirmed. 

'Many on the flight were returning from a figure skating event in Wichita, Kansas,' the district said.  Lane and Han were also coming from the skating event.