Air traffic controller audio captures moment plane crashes into helicopter

Awful news

The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ701 twin-engine jet regional jet was coming into land at Reagan Washington National Airport at 9pm local time.

There are no official figures for the number of dead of injured, but they have said 19 bodies have been found. Local media reports that four people have been found alive.

American Eagle flight 5342 was coming in from Wichita, Kansas when it crashed midair into a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter that was carrying three soldiers.

The helicopter was on a training flight at the time of the collision.

LiveATC.net has released live audio of the final moments of communication between air traffic control and the helicopter, which it refers to as PAT25.

"PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller said at 8.47 p.m.

Moments later, a different aircraft called in: "Tower, did you see that?"

"Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three," one of the air traffic controllers can be heard saying.

"I don't know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach into 33. We're going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future," another says.

"Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river," a third can be heard saying.

"It was probably out in the middle of the river," the controller said. "I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit."

NBC4 reports that the passenger jet reportedly split into two pieces when it crashed, and that it is in seven feet of water in the Potomac River.

A search and rescue operation is underway, with 300 emergency responders on the scene, including divers, boats and helicopters.

John Donnelly, chief of DC fire and EMS, said they are working in "extremely tough conditions."

President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the "terrible accident" and was monitoring the situation closely.

"May God Bless their souls," he said in a statement.

"Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders," he said.

Robert Isom, the CEO of American Airlines, which is the parent brand of American Eagle, expressed "deep sorrow" at the collision in a video shared to their website.