FINAL SECONDS
Tragic final moments of American Airlines flight revealed in chilling audio before chopper crash as dozens feared dead
Listen to the last air traffic control recordings in the video
CHILLING audio has revealed the tragic final moments of an American Airlines flight before it exploded and crashed after a midair collision with a US Army helicopter.
The crash happened as the passenger jet prepared to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington DC on Wednesday night.
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The American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 passenger jet and the US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided at a low level before plunging into the Potomac River.
American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were aboard its jet - 60 passengers and four crew members.
The passengers included a number of professional ice skaters who were on board the flight from Wichita, Kansas.
Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, which was on a training flight, a US official said.
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All involved in the crash are feared dead.
It comes as…
- All 64 on board feared dead on plane
- CCTV reveals moment of crash
- World champion figure skaters 'were on board'
- Husband reveals wife's final text from doomed jet
- Trump says crash 'could have been prevented'
Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly has confirmed 27 bodies have been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter.
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He said the rescue mission has turned into a recovery operation.
Radio communications between the air traffic control tower and the Black Hawk show that the helicopter crew was aware that the twin-engine passenger plane was nearby.
Search and rescue recover wreckage after mid-air collision in Washington DC
Air traffic control recordings appear to capture the final attempted communications with the helicopter, given the call sign PAT25, before it collides with the plane, a Bombardier CRJ700.
"PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller says at 8:47 pm, according to a recording on liveatc.net.
Seconds later, another aircraft calls in to air traffic control, saying, "Tower, did you see that?" - apparently referring to the fireball in the sky when the crash happened.
An air traffic controller then redirects planes heading to runway 33 to go around and divert from the airport.
A web camera shot from the Kennedy Center in Washington shows an explosion mid-air across the Potomac at about 8:47 pm with an aircraft and debris in flames falling rapidly.
PSA Airlines was operating American Eagle Flight 5342 for American Airlines, according to the FAA.
"We're cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation and will continue to provide all the information we can," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a video statement.
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Crash could have been prevented, Trump says
PRESIDENT Donald Trump said the American Airlines plane that crashed in Washington DC was on "a perfect approach."
"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport," he wrote on Truth Social.
"The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time.
"It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn.
"Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.
"This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Dozens of police, ambulance, and rescue units, some ferrying boats, staged along the river and raced to positions along the tarmac of Reagan Airport.
Live TV images showed several boats in the water, flashing blue and red lights.
Relatives gathered at the airport said they were getting little to no information from officials about the incident.
They added that they were hearing more about the incident from news reports.
A father told Sky News his daughter's best friend was on her way back from an ice-skating competition.
"I haven't heard much. I got off work, and I came straight here to be with my friends," the father said.
One woman told an airport official, "I don't know if she got on there or not," in apparent reference to a passenger on the crashed jet and then collapsed in tears.
The Pentagon said it was launching an immediate investigation into the incident.
President Donald Trump appeared to blame it on the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers in a post on Truth Social.
"The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time," he wrote.
"It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn.
"Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.
"This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Jack Potter, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, emphasized at the same news conference that first responders were in "rescue mode."
Washington DC, fire chief John Donnelly said at the news conference that at least 300 first responders were continuing to work on the "highly complex" rescue operation.
"Conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders," Donnelly said.
"It's cold. They're dealing with windy conditions."
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Asked by reporters whether there were any survivors, he responded, "We don't know yet."
Potter said the airport would remain closed until at least 11 am on Thursday.
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