Air Traffic Control Audio Captures Chaos and Chaos After Helicopter and Commercial Airliner Collide
Air traffic controller audio obtained by CNN from LiveATC.net reveals the moments leading up to the fatal collision between a helicopter and a commercial airliner on approach to Runway 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. According to the audio, air traffic controllers requested a pilot identify whether the commercial aircraft, operated by PSA Airlines, was in sight.
“Pat 2-5 do you have the CRJ in sight?” one controller asked.
The helicopter pilot responded, “Pat 2-5 has aircraft in sight, request visual separation.”
Audible gasps and a loud “oooh” could be heard in the background as the moment of the crash unfolded. The controller alerted another pilot of the incident and later confirmed that both aircraft involved in the collision were in the river, with a search and rescue effort to follow.
Additional audio reveals pilots expressing shock and disbelief. “Yeah, we were on short final, and we saw flares from the opposite side of the Potomac,” one pilot said. The incident led to a shutdown of all operations at DCA, with other aircraft diverting to alternative airports.
