Timeline of air site visitors controllers issuing warnings earlier than American Airways aircraft, Black Hawk helicopter collision in DC

Air site visitors controllers warned a US Military helicopter that it was getting dangerously near an American Airways passenger aircraft that was touchdown at Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport earlier than the lethal collision on Wednesday night time, in line with a recording of the air site visitors management radio change.

Lower than 30 seconds earlier than the mid-air crash, which despatched each plane into the icy Potomac River within the US capital, an plane controller radioed the helicopter – “Have you ever noticed the CRJ?” – referring to American Airways Flight 5352, a CRJ 700, in line with FlightRadar24.

The aircraft, which took off from Wichita, Kan., with 64 folks on board, was touchdown at Reagan Nationwide – touring north towards Runway 33.

The helicopter – which took off close to Langley, Va., in line with studies – appeared to have been flying up the Potomac previous to the crash.

The collision occurred at about 8:48 and 48 seconds on Wednesday night time.

Here’s a partial reconstruction of the occasions that led to the crash, primarily based on preliminary flight maps and air site visitors management audio:

• 5:18 p.m. – American Airways Flight 5352, a CRJ 700, takes off from Wichita, Kan., sure for Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport.
• 8:39:40 p.m. – Military UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Va. takes off on a coaching train with three folks aboard, flying up the Potomac River from the realm of Langley, Va.

• 8:40 p.m. – Flight 5352 begins approaching Reagan Nationwide’s Runway 33 from the south of Washington, DC.
• 8:48:38 p.m. – Air site visitors management tower radios the US Military UH-60 helicopter (PAT25) and asks, “Do you’ve got the CRJ in sight?”
• The helicopter pilot confirms he sees the passenger aircraft and requests “visible separation” – confirming he’s going to attempt to fly out of the aircraft’s path.
• 8:48:56 p.m. – Flight 5352 and the helicopter collide over the Potomac at an altitude of about 300 ft, because the aircraft was touring about 145 mph, per the final recordings from FlightRadar24.
• Air site visitors controllers might be heard reacting, and asking, “Did you see that?”