WASHINGTON: Air visitors management audio recorded the ultimate moments earlier than and after the crash of an American Airways regional passenger jet and a US Military Black Hawk helicopter after a midair collision in Washington on Wednesday night time (Jan 29).
Audio from LiveATC.web, a revered supply for in-flight recording, captured the ultimate communications between the three crew members of the helicopter – name signal PAT25 – earlier than it collided with the CRJ700 Bombardier jet carrying 64 passengers and crew.
“PAT25, do you’ve got a CRJ in sight? PAT25, go behind the CRJ,” an air visitors controller mentioned at 8.47pm on Wednesday.
Seconds later, one other plane referred to as in to air visitors management, saying, “Tower, did you see that?” – apparently referring to the crash. An air visitors controller then redirected planes heading to runway 33 at Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport to go round.
The explosion in midair occurred over the frigid Potomac River close to the airport.
“Crash, crash, crash, that is an alert three,” one of many air visitors controllers may be heard saying within the audio from across the time of the crash.
“I do not know in case you caught earlier what occurred, however there was a collision on the method into 33. We’ll be shutting down operations for the indefinite future,” one other controller remarked.
“Each the helicopter and the aircraft crashed within the river,” a 3rd air visitors controller may be heard saying.
“It was in all probability out in the midst of the river,” the controller mentioned. “I simply noticed a fireball after which it was simply gone. I have never seen something since they hit the river. Nevertheless it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit.”
The crash was caught on a webcam on the John F Kennedy Heart for the Performing Arts in Washington. The clip exhibits the plane exploding in flames and plummeting to earth after it’s struck by the helicopter.
A US official mentioned no senior army officers had been on the helicopter, whereas US Determine Skating mentioned several skaters had been on board the American Airlines flight.
