The night before American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night, a jet that tried to land at the same airport had to circle around and make another approach after a helicopter approached its flight path, according to reports.
The Washington Post reported that an audio recording from air traffic control captured the encounter, and ultimately, Republic Airways Flight 4514 landed safely, flight tracking software shows.
The Embraer E-175 was cleared to land at the airport’s Runway 19 and advised about a helicopter in its vicinity. It executed a go-around maneuver after its automated collision avoidance system ordered what’s known as a ‘resolution advisory’ to avoid nearby traffic.
