Tragic final moments of American Airlines flight revealed in chilling audio before chopper crash as dozens feared dead
Tragic final moments of American Airlines flight revealed in chilling audio before chopper crash as dozens feared dead
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CHILLING audio has revealed the tragic final moments of an American Airlines flight before it crashed with a chopper. The midair collision occurred as the passenger jet en route from Wichita, Kansas, was on approach to land at Ronald Reagan Airport on Wednesday night.
![[Emergency responders at the scene of a plane crash in the Potomac River.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/image-contains-graphic-content-emergency-967735765.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The American Airlines regional passenger jet and US Army Black Hawk helicopter then crashed into the Potomac River. American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were aboard the jet - 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, which was on a training flight, a US official said.
![[Screengrab of a plane and helicopter colliding mid-air and crashing into the Potomac River.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/kennedy-center-cam-handout-no-967718354.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Officials say there are "many, many, many" people dead, but have not confirmed the tragic toll. At least 18 bodies have reportedly been pulled from the river so far. Radio communications between the air traffic control tower and the Black Hawk show that the helicopter crew were aware that the plane was in the nearby vicinity.
![[Emergency responders at night attending to an aircraft accident in a river.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/emergency-units-respond-passenger-aircraft-967735613_acac58.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Air traffic control recordings appear to capture the final attempted communications with the helicopter, callsign PAT25, before it collides with the plane, described as CRJ. "PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller says at 8.47pm, according to a recording on liveatc.net.
![[Illustration of a plane crash into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/TOB-MAP-WASHINGTON-CRASH.webp?strip=all&w=620)
Seconds later, another aircraft calls in to air traffic control, saying, "Tower, did you see that?" - apparently referring to the crash. An air traffic controller then redirects planes heading to runway 33 to go around. A web camera shot from the Kennedy Center in Washington showed an explosion mid-air across the Potomac at about 8.47pm with an aircraft in flames falling rapidly.
![[Rescue boats searching the Potomac River at night.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/rescue-boats-search-waters-potomac-967739021_f36c01.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
