Air traffic control heard diverting planes moments after Washington plane crash
A rescue operation is ongoing after a plane carrying 64 people and a military helicopter with three soldiers onboard collided mid-air in Washington DC.
Thursday 30 January 2025 12:00, UK
Air traffic audio recorded immediately before and after an American Airlines passenger flight and a military helicopter crashed mid-air has been released.
The commercial jet, with 60 passengers and four crew on board, and the helicopter, carrying three soldiers, collided near Washington DC's Ronald Reagan National Airport. Both aircraft then crashed into the Potomac River.
Crash latest: Follow updates as rescue operation continues
Before the crash:
In audio recorded just seconds before the two aircraft collided, a controller can be heard asking the helicopter crew if they have seen the commercial flight.
At 8.47pm local time, the controller says: "PAT25 [military helicopter], do you have a CRJ [American Airlines] in sight?"
"PAT25, pass behind the CRJ."
After the crash:
There are two audio clips of the air traffic exchanges from the moments after the collision.
In one clip, air traffic staff can be heard redirecting other planes in the area seconds after the crash.
Aircraft calling into air traffic control: "Tower, did you see that?
Controller: "American [inaudible] go around, maintain 3,000 [feet]. Maintain 3,000. American 3530. American 472... cancel."
Pilot: "Clarifying what you want 478 to do. Are we going around? Or are we continuing? American 4782 is going around. We're going to climb. Maintain 3,000."
Unidentified: "Alright for American 4782, we're on the go. We're gonna climb 3,000. Do you have a heading?"
The controllers then use the callsign "Blackjack", which is for US Coastguard helicopters.
Controller: "Blackjack Three, can you return to base?
"Blackjack Three can you proceed directly to base. I need you to land. I need you to land immediately. I need you to land immediately.
"Can you go to Dulles [International Airport] for a few minutes?
"[inaudible] Can you go to Baltimore?"
Unidentified: "I don't know if you saw but at about 2,000ft on our [inaudible] it looked like there were flames or something [inaudible]."
Controller: " [inaudible] 13 can you go to Baltimore? I need to have you exit the airspace. Can you go to Andrew[s Airforce Base]? Proceed directly to Andrews.
"Flight deck three, are you able to assist with search and rescues? Flight deck do you have any type of search light or anything on board that would help shed some light at the east end of the field?
"Head back to [south DC neighbourhood] Anacostia and I'll call you back.
"Blackjack three, if you see the trucks on your left-hand side, just let me know if there's anyway you can assist.
"When you get to south [inaudible] you'll see a lot of trucks on the east end of the field. You'll be met with blackjack one. If there's any way you can assist, just let me know ... equipment… any way you can assist just let me know."
Controller to plane waiting to depart: "If you want to go back to the gate, let me know. I don't know if you're going to be able to depart here.
"If you want to shut them down or if you want to go back to the gate, let me know. I don't know if we're going to be able to resume operations in the near future. Might be about 30 or 40 minutes."
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In the other clip, an air traffic controller says: "Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three."
Pilot: "Roger, we'll wait for now."
Controller: "They're going to close the airport for the next amount of time... back to the gate."
Another controller: "I don't know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach into [runway] 33. We're going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future."
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Third air traffic controller: "Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river. It was probably out in the middle of the river."
"I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit."