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.

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

The captain flying the plane with 64 aboard was schooled in Florida. A Blackhawk helicopter collided with Flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan airport.

The pilots of the American Airlines plane that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter late Wednesday night have been identified. Jonathan Campos, 34, was the captain of American Airlines Flight 5342 when an Army helicopter apparently flew into its path as it prepared for landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington,