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.

The father of the first officer onboard an American Airlines jet that collided with a military helicopter is speaking to FOX 35 News about the tragic crash over Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night.

The pilot of the American Airlines jet involved in the deadly air collision in Washington, D.C., graduated from a university in Florida. RELATED: Collision between passenger jet and Army helicopter near DC kills 67Sign up for our NewslettersCaptain Jonathan Campos lived in Ormond Beach and graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2015.

The devastating Air Florida Flight 90 crash on Jan. 13, 1982 and subsequent rescue efforts in the ice-covered Potomac River transfixed Washington and the nation

An American Airlines regional jet collided with a military helicopter as it was approaching Reagan National Airport.

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

Three flights from RSW into Washington D.C.'s DCA have been canceled Thursday after an American Airlines passenger plane collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night.

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

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 Tampa Bay.

The deadly crash in the Potomac after an American Eagle jet collided with a military helicopter has stirred memories of a long-ago tragedy in Washington, D.C. An Air Florida flight taking off en route to Fort Lauderdale crashed into a bridge and tumbled into the icy Potomac in January 1982.

Fatal crashes like the one that happened near Washington on Wednesday are increasingly rare because of modern aviation safety procedures.