Chilling Air Traffic Control Audio Captures Moment Black Hawk Helo Collided With Flight 5342
Chilling audio from Wednesday night’s collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and an Army helicopter shows air traffic control officials horrified that their instructions to both aircraft resulted in tragedy.
By law, air traffic controllers broadcast over dedicated airwaves accessible to the public through radio transmitters. Aviation trackers captured a recording of the conversation between the American Airlines flight crew and the ground control who were directing them to land the jet at runway 33 at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
“Change to runway 33, runway 33, cleared to land,” a male pilot is heard saying after receiving his direction from the control tower.
A short time later, the tower can be heard notifying the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, referred to as “PAT25,” that the American Airlines flight was 1,200 feet away, headed for runway 33.
“Visual separation approved,” a male ground control voice says.
Several other aircraft were passing by the helicopter and flight 5342 at the time of the crash, according to a visual representation by VASAviation.
Seconds before impact, the tower members ask the helicopter pilot, “PAT25, do you have [flight 5342] in sight?” Receiving no response, the controller continues instructing. “PAT25, pass behind” the aircraft.
Then, the unthinkable happens — video captures the moment both aircraft collided in a ball of fire over the airport.
“Oh! Oh my,” yells a female control member. A male figure replies, “Oh, they just went,” while a member of control control asks, “Tower, did you just see that?”
A frantic effort begins as tower officials work to divert aircraft away from the airport, including another flight that requested to use the same runway 33 just seconds after the mid-air collision.
“American 3130, go around… climb and maintain 3,000 [feet],” control replies.
With multiple aircraft diverted, the tower then asked ground control if they believed the Black Hawk helicopter was part of the collision.
“Affirmative,” the ground crew member replied.
A member of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority interrupts the flight diversions with an urgent message.
“Crash! Crash! Crash! This is Alert 3. Off the approach end of runway 33. Approach end of runway 33. Helicopter crash.”
Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration reported that the collision, which occurred at approximately 9 p.m. EST, likely resulted in the death of all 60 passengers on the jet, its four-person flight crew, and three soldiers on board the Army helicopter. At least 27 bodies have been pulled from a frigid, icy Potomac River as of Thursday morning, a number that is expected to rise.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was confirmed to the job just a day prior, called the incident “absolutely preventable” and said his agency would immediately begin a review of how it transpired.
“We are going to wait for all the information to come in from this vantage point,” he told reporters Thursday. “But to back up what the president said and what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”
