Air Traffic Control (ATC) audio from Wednesday’s collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet reveals the moments before and after controllers witnessed the disaster unfold.
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AirTrafficControl(ATC)audiofromWednesday’scollisionbetweenanArmyBlackHawkhelicopterandanAmericanAirlinesjetrevealsthemomentsbeforeandaftercontrollerswitnessedthedisasterunfold.
ThetwoaircraftcollidedatReaganNationalAirportin Arlington,Virginia, ataround9p.m.with60passengersandfourcrewmembersonboardthepassengerjet,whilethreesoldierswereinsidethehelicopter. AmassiverecoveryoperationisunderwayonthePotomacRiver.
Intheairtrafficcontrolaudio,acontrollercanbehearddirectingAmericanAirlinesFlight5342totakeRunway33.
AMERICANAIRLINESPLANE,ARMYHELICOPTERCOLLIDEOUTSIDEREAGANNATIONALAIRPORTNEARWASHINGTONDC
TheAApilotconfirmshecantakeRunway33andiscleartolandtheaircraft,aPSAAirlinesBombardierCRJ700regionaljet,referredtoas“CRJ.”
Thecontrollertheninstructsthehelicopter,an ArmyUH-60helicopterSikorskyUH-