A small passenger plane and a military helicopter collided and crashed at Ronald Reagan Airport, the domestic airport in Washington, D.C., where it has been reported that the controller asked the helicopter pilot whether they had confirmed the landing passenger plane 30 seconds before the accident.
U.S. CNN reported on the 30th (local time) that it obtained and released communication materials from the previous day's accident through 'LiveATC,' which delivers global air traffic control communications in real-time.
The controller at Ronald Reagan Airport asked the Black Hawk helicopter pilot of the U.S. Army, 'Does PAT 2-5 (helicopter) see the CRJ (passenger plane)?' Then said, 'PAT 2-5, go behind the CRJ.' Later, the helicopter pilot stated, 'PAT 2-5 sees the passenger plane. Requesting visual separation.'
Less than 13 seconds later, the control tower emitted a sound resembling 'oooh' along with the noise of rapid breathing. This occurred just after the American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines’ CRJ700 aircraft collided with the Black Hawk while approaching for landing at Ronald Reagan Airport. Both aircraft crashed into the nearby Potomac River.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the moment the controller asked the helicopter pilot if they saw the passenger plane was 30 seconds before the crash. After the collision, the controller informed pilots of other aircraft attempting to enter the airport that 'there has been a collision. Operations will be suspended indefinitely going forward.'
The voice of a pilot who witnessed the disaster was also heard, stating, 'I saw flames on the opposite side of the Potomac River.'
The video released by U.S. media shows the passenger plane and helicopter colliding in mid-air at night, creating a massive fire.
AP reported that the accident passenger plane experienced a rapid altitude drop while flying at about 225 km/h at an altitude of approximately 122 meters as it approached the airport.
The passenger plane was approved for landing on a new runway after receiving a request from the control tower minutes before landing, and it was confirmed that the plane adjusted its approach path to head to the newly assigned Runway 33. The plane's radio transmission stopped about 730 meters from the runway, right over the middle of the river.
Meanwhile, an overnight underwater search is underway as both aircraft fell into the river. It is reported that more than 30 bodies have been recovered from the accident site in the Potomac River.