Absolutely chilling audio has been released from air traffic controllers who were on duty when American Airlines Flight 5342 tragically collided with a VIP-transport Army helicopter over the Potomac near Washington, D.C. The horrifying exchange captures the moments leading up to the catastrophe, revealing miscommunications, frantic warnings, and the shocking realization of disaster.
The tragedy unfolded when Flight 5342, following standard landing procedures, was given clearance to land on runway 33. Meanwhile, a Sikorsky VH-60 Black Hawk helicopter—referred to as “PAT25” by air traffic control—was also in the area, operating under highly unusual circumstances. The Black Hawk, a “gold top” model used for transporting high-level military and government personnel, was flying at an altitude far exceeding regulations for the area, adding to growing questions about why it was in the flight path in the first place.
The chilling exchange began with the American Airlines pilot confirming his landing clearance: **”Change to runway 33, runway 33, cleared to land.”** Moments later, air traffic control attempted to confirm the position of the Black Hawk, alerting its pilot that Flight 5342 was just 1,200 feet away and on approach. A controller then gave an ominous approval for “visual separation”—a dangerous maneuver that places the responsibility on pilots to avoid each other rather than relying on clear, controlled airspace.
But then, as the two aircraft closed in on one another, air traffic control realized something was wrong. A desperate voice called out to PAT25: **”PAT25, do you have [Flight 5342] in sight?”** The response? Silence. No acknowledgment. No indication that the helicopter pilot was even aware of the looming collision.
With mere seconds left before impact, a final warning came: **”PAT25, pass behind [Flight 5342].”** But it was too late. The fiery explosion that followed was met with gasps and exclamations from stunned controllers. One female voice cried out: **”Oh! Oh my.”** Another stunned controller simply muttered, **”Oh, they just went.”**
Panic gripped the control tower as personnel scrambled to reroute other aircraft away from the deadly fireball now falling from the sky. An official with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority frantically radioed: **”Crash! Crash! Crash! This is Alert 3. Off the approach end of runway 33. Approach end of runway 33. Helicopter crash.”**
In the wake of the tragedy, President Donald Trump quickly addressed the situation on Truth Social, offering his prayers for those involved: **”I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”**
But Trump also raised serious questions about why the Black Hawk was flying so high—**50% higher than the maximum altitude allowed in the restricted area.** Calling out the reckless flight path, Trump noted, **”The Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”**
Now, Americans are left wondering—why was a military VIP transport helicopter flying so dangerously outside its restricted altitude near one of the nation’s busiest airports? And why wasn’t air traffic control able to establish clear, coordinated instructions before disaster struck?
With the Biden administration still refusing to provide transparency on this incident, these unanswered questions are only fueling concerns about incompetence—or worse, negligence—at the highest levels of government. The American people deserve answers, and they deserve them now.
