Audio reveals the moment Ronald Reagan Airport’s air traffic control tower learns that the passenger plane and military helicopter had collided
Credit: LIVEATC
Air traffic control audio has revealed the tragic final moments when an American Airlines flight with 64 people onboard collided with a US military helicopter.
The mid-air collision happened on Wednesday night as the passenger plane, a Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, from Wichita in Kansas, approached Ronald Reagan Airport to land.
It collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on a training flight that had three people onboard.
Audio obtained by ITV News affiliate CNN, from LiveATC.net, captures the moment air traffic controllers asked the helicopter if it could see the American Airlines jet.
The helicopter’s callsign was known as PAT 2-5 and the passenger jet was referred to as CRJ.
An air traffic controller can be heard on the audio saying: “PAT 2-5 do you have the CRJ in sight?”
“PAT 2-5 pass behind the CRJ,” the controller added.
On a separate audio recording, the helicopter’s pilot can be heard saying shortly before the collision: “PAT 2-5 has aircraft in sight, request visual separation.”
Less than 13 seconds later, audible gasps are heard – including a loud “oh” in the background which apparently came from the tower – at the moment of the crash.
The tower then alerts another pilot to what had happened.
“I don’t know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach end of 3-3,” the controller said, referencing runway 33.
“We are going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future if you want to go back to the gate. Highly suggest you guys coordinate with the company. Let me know what you want to do.”
Audio recordings also captured another pilot witnessing the collision and confirming it with air traffic control.
The pilot could be heard saying: “Yeah, we were on short final, and we saw flares from the opposite side of the Potomac”.
An approach controller replied: “Apparently both aircraft involved are in the river, a search and rescue will be ongoing.”
Several other aircrafts made plans to divert to other airports after the incident as flights at Ronald Reagan Airport were halted.
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