Tower, did you see that?: Audio from ATC moments after US helicopter-jet collision goes viral

An American Airlines regional passenger jet was involved in a mid-air collision on Wednesday night with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport.

Reuters has reported two deaths so far, with urgent and large-scale search-and-rescue operation being launched in the nearby Potomac River. As many as 60 passengers and four crew members were on board the jet.

The crash involved a regional jet arriving from Wichita, Kansas, and a military Blackhawk helicopter. It happened around 9 pm EST as the jet approached a runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Rescue boats were launched into the river, and helicopters searched the area. Takeoffs and landings at the airport were stopped.


Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight: “PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?”

It then makes another radio call to PAT25 moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.”

However, no response was received, and the two aircraft collided seconds later. A few moments later, another pilot can be heard on the tower's frequency, asking, "Tower, did you see that?" The air traffic control tower immediately began diverting other incoming flights from the airport as the full scale of the disaster became apparent.

However, no response was received, and the two aircraft collided seconds later. Seconds later, another pilot is heard calling after the apparent collision: “Tower, did you see that?”

The air traffic controller immediately began diverting other aircraft from the Reagan National Airport, according to AP.

A video of the passenger jet colliding with the military chopper mid-air has also emerged on social media.