Air traffic control radar footage revealed the moment when an American Airlines plane flight 5432 fatally collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter, sending 67 in total to their demise and causing a massive explosion mid-air.
Over 30 bodies have been recovered but on Thursday, everyone on both aircraft has been presumed dead. The fateful accident took place on Wednesday and what started as a rescue mission turned into a recovery mission.
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A breakdown of what happened
It turns out that both aircraft were unaware of the presence of the other, coming in opposite directions which led to their collision just 400ft above ground.
Air Traffic Control radar footage showed the tragedy that is the collision of both aircraft. The American Airlines flight was labeled JIA5342, and the Army Black Hawk helicopter, PAT25.
The moment of the collision
In the footage, both aircraft were facing one another, the helicopter’s path was somewhat straight whereas the plane veered to make its landing, but unfortunately, they collided and it was too late, by then the aircraft had fallen in the Potomac River.
First responders and rescuers flooded the scene
Over 300 first responders and rescuers arrived at the scene and were deployed on the river on inflatable boats while others erected their searchlights to illuminate the murky waters.
The aim was to save any potential survivors but as it turns out, no one is believed to have survived.
The collision left a massive wreckage behind
Both aircraft sank to the bottom of the Potomac, with the body of the plane upside down cut in three sections in waist-deep water. The wings were partially submerged and the helicopter’s wreckage was also found in the river.
The cause of the crash is vague
Flight conditions were clear, that was not the issue. The issue was that the plane was due to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC, but traffic control staff asked if the landing could be made on a shorter runway and the pilots agreed.
There was no word from the helicopter
Traffic control staff gave the plane clearance to land, but when they reached out to the helicopter to tell its pilot to wait for the plane to pass by before continuing, they received no response. By then, the two aircraft collided and it was too late.
American Airlines CEO issued a statement
The CEO of American Airlines, Robert Isom, issued a statement as he explained what happened and his plan to travel to DC with a specialist team to aid the investigation.
He said: “This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.”
Trump responded
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to talk about the horrific accident, saying: “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport.”
“The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” he continued.
Trump blamed the control tower
“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!! What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all,” he added.
Audio of the aftermath of the American Airlines collision released
The audio revealed the scary moment the dispatchers witnessed the crash, saying: “The accident happened in the river. Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river,” a man on the audio says.
“I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river,” he added.
