An American Airlines flight colliding with an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C. was a sheer moment of heartbreak for people across the nation and in the Tampa Bay Area.

Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River. 78 passengers, cabin crew members and motorists died. Just five people survived, and only three are still alive to witness news of the American Airlines plane that collided with a U.

The recent crash and rescue on the icy river between DC and Virginia sparks memories of Air Florida's 1982 disaster.

One of the pilots of the passenger jet involved in a mid-air collision in Washington, D.C. was a native of New York but grew up in Florida, where he learned to fly planes, according to records and statements from those who knew him.

Tragedy struck the skies on Wednesday night (January 29) when American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a US army helicopter — a Blackhawk — and crashed into the Potomac River. So far, 18 bodies have been recovered from the cold,

The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when it collided with a U.S. Army helicopter carrying three soldiers, officials said.

Several federal and state investigations have been launched after an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and fell into the Potomac River,

By David Shepardson, Trevor Hunnicutt and Brad Brooks WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the frigid Potomac River after a midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night,