Tragic final moments of American Airlines flight revealed in chilling audio before chopper crash as dozens feared dead

CHILLING audio has revealed the tragic last moments of an American Airlines formation earlier it crashed with a chopper.

The midair collision occurred arsenic the rider pitchy en way from Wichita, Kansas, was connected attack to onshore astatine Ronald Reagan Airport connected Wednesday night.

The American Airlines determination rider pitchy and US Army Black Hawk chopper past crashed into the Potomac River.

American Airlines confirmed that 64 radical were aboard the jet: 60 passengers and 4 unit members.

Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, which was connected a grooming flight, a US authoritative said.

Radio communications betwixt the aerial postulation power operation and the Black Hawk amusement that the chopper unit were alert that the level was adjacent vicinity.

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Air postulation power recordings look to seizure the last attempted communications with the helicopter, callsign PAT25, earlier it collides with the plane, described arsenic CRJ.

"PAT25, bash you person a CRJ successful sight? PAT25, walk down the CRJ," an aerial postulation controller says astatine 8.47pm, according to a signaling connected liveatc.net.

Seconds later, different craft calls successful to aerial postulation control, saying, "Tower, did you spot that?" - seemingly referring to the crash.

An aerial postulation controller past redirects planes heading to runway 33 to spell around.

A web camera changeable from the Kennedy Center successful Washington showed an detonation mid-air crossed the Potomac astir 8.47pm with an craft successful flames falling rapidly.

PSA was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines, according to the FAA.

"We're cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board successful its probe and volition proceed to supply each the accusation we can," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said successful a video statement.

Dozens of police, ambulance and rescue units, immoderate ferrying boats, staged on the stream and raced to positions on the tarmac of Reagan airport.

Live TV images showed respective boats successful the water, flashing bluish and reddish lights.

Relatives gathered astatine the airdrome said they were getting small to nary accusation from officials astir the incident.

They added that they were proceeding much astir the incidental from quality reports.

One pistillate told an airdrome official, "I don't cognize if she got connected determination oregon not," successful evident notation to a rider connected the crashed pitchy and past collapsed successful tears.

The Pentagon said it was launching an contiguous probe into the incident.

President Donald Trump appeared to blasted it connected the chopper unit and aerial postulation controllers successful a station connected Truth Social.

He wrote: "The chopper was going consecutive astatine the airplane for an extended play of time.

"It is simply a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights connected the level were blazing, wherefore didn't the chopper spell up oregon down, oregon turn.

"Why didn't the power operation archer the chopper what to bash alternatively of asking if they saw the plane.

"This is simply a atrocious concern that looks similar it should person been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"

Jack Potter, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, emphasized astatine the aforesaid quality league that archetypal responders were successful "rescue mode."