A serious accident happened on Wednesday when a passenger jet hit an Army helicopter while trying to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Although we don’t yet know if anyone was hurt, all flights in and out of the airport have been stopped.
Reports from the Associated Press say that air traffic control recorded the moment of the crash. Less than 30 seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it saw the incoming passenger plane: “PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?” The controller then told the helicopter to “pass behind the CRJ.” However, there was no reply, and moments later, the two aircraft collided.
Just after the crash, another pilot could be heard saying, “Tower, did you see that?” The air traffic controller immediately began to divert other planes away from the airport.
A video of the collision has also appeared on social media. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the incident took place around 9 PM EST when a regional jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, struck a military Blackhawk helicopter while approaching the runway.
The White House reported that President Donald Trump was informed about the incident. American Airlines, which operated the flight, said they are aware of the situation and will share updates as they come in.
Leave a Reply