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Air traffic controller audio catches moments before and after Washington airplane crash

Air traffic control service audio tape-recorded the last moments before and after the crash of an American Airlines local passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter after a midair accident in Washington on Wednesday night.

Audio from LiveATC.net, a reputable source for in-flight recording, captured the final communications between the three team members of the helicopter - call sign PAT25 - before it hit the CRJ700 Bombardier jet bring 64 passengers and crew.

PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ, an air traffic controller said at 8.47 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday (01:47 GMT on Thursday).

Seconds later, another aircraft employed to air traffic control, stating, Tower, did you see that? - obviously referring to the crash. An air traffic controller then rerouted planes heading to runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport to go around.

The explosion in midair happened over the freezing Potomac River near the airport.

Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert 3, among the air traffic controllers can be heard saying in the audio from around the time of the crash.

I do not know if you caught earlier what occurred, however there was an accident on the method into 33. We're going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future, another controller said.

Both the helicopter and the aircraft crashed in the river, a. 3rd air traffic controller can be heard stating.

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

The crash was captured on a web cam at the John F. Kennedy. Center for the Carrying Out Arts in Washington. The clip shows the. aircraft taking off in flames and plummeting to earth after it is. struck by the helicopter.

(source: Reuters)