Air traffic control audio from the tragic mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., reveals critical moments leading up to the accident. Approximately 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller inquired if the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter had visual contact with the approaching American Airlines CRJ700 jet.

Washington

A regional jet carrying 64 people collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC.

D.C. Crash

Air traffic control audio has shed light on the moments leading up to the tragic mid-air collision near Washington, D.C. The incident involved a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines CRJ700 jet. Approximately 30 seconds before the collision, air traffic controllers communicated with the Black Hawk to inquire about its visual contact with the approaching jet.

The air traffic control transcript captures these moments and highlights the communication between various air traffic controllers and the aircraft. During the communication, controllers directed a flight, MedService 056, to contact the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility. However, the transcripts reveal a period of silence from the aircraft, which raised concerns among the controllers and other pilots.

These recordings underscore the complexity and critical nature of maintaining constant and clear communication between control towers and aircraft. The silence following the controller's repeated instructions remains a key point in understanding the series of events that led to the unfortunate crash. Authorities have not yet disclosed the outcome of any ongoing investigations into the collision.



Air traffic control audio from Washington jet crash revealed

Pete, I know you've flown into this airport. In terms of the air traffic control audio that we have, we have that audio available to just be able to listen to what was happening as this was going down. Let's take a moment and listen to that. Medevac, MedService 056, contact Philly departure 123.8. 123.8, Mike Tango Sierra, 056 Medevac, thank you, good day. Medevac, MedService 056, Northeast Tower, contact Philly 123.8. Medevac, MedService, Northeast Tower. Medevac, MedService 056, Northeast Tower, are you on frequency? Approach to Runway 24, what's going on down there? Condition 755, we have a lost aircraft. We're not exactly sure what happened, so we're trying to figure it out for now. I mean, Pete, that silence is only a few seconds, it seems to go on. What does it tell you that air traffic control did not seem to be hearing anything from this plane? It's sobering, Kaitlin, and one of the first calls there, you can hear the controller telling that flight MedService 056 to contact departure, so that's a handoff from the control tower, the local controller, to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility, and that works the airplane up to higher altitudes, and then the controller repeats that again, says MedService 056, contact Philly. There's no response, and then you hear other pilots, sounds like, chime in and say what went on down there, and the controller saying we've lost an aircraft.

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D.C. Crash