Why Trump Blamed Reagan ATC For American Airlines Plane Crash? Viral Audio Reveals Shocking Details

An audio clip has revealed the shocking moments leading up to the American Airlines plane crash in Washington DC, due to the ATC's alleged failure to guide a helicopter out of the flight's path.

US Plane Crash: The American Airlines flight just before the crash (left)

Source : PTI/X@officer_Lew

A viral audio has revealed shocking details about the moments before the American Airlines plane crash that killed dozens of people in the crash over the Potomac River in Washington DC. Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump blamed the Reagan National Airport Air Traffic Controller for failing to inform the US Army's Black Hawk chopper of the flight's approach path.

A new angle showing the crash from a car's dashcam has also come to the fore.

Breaking News 🚨

Horrible American airlines accident about 400ft#planecrash pic.twitter.com/7sfpzDvuN0

— Rohitnat!On🏆 (@goat_rohit45) January 30, 2025

Trump alleged that the ATC was aware of the American Airlines plane's approach but merely asked the chopper pilot if he could see the aircraft instead of guiding the aircraft out of the passenger plane's way. Now, the viral audio tape has revealed the conversation between the ATC and the chopper pilot.

Audio recordings of the air traffic communications at Reagan National Airport captured the moments leading up to the collision.

According to news website CNN, in the exchange, an air traffic controller asks, “PAT 2-5, do you have the CRJ in sight?” The controller then directs the helicopter to “pass behind the CRJ".

Here is the Reagan Washington Airport Tower / Pentagon Heliport air traffic audio. ATC talking to choppers. One asks permission to fly visual. Shortly after ATC sounds concerned about "visual separation". Pilot reports back traffic in site. (Wrong plane?) Gasps are suddenly… pic.twitter.com/GrwVNvSvn2

— Scott Hiser (@ScottHiser) January 30, 2025

Shortly before the crash, additional audio reveals the helicopter pilot responding, “PAT 2-5 has aircraft in sight, request visual separation.” Less than 13 seconds later, audible gasps, including a loud "oooh", are heard in the background from the control tower at the moment of impact.

Following the collision, the tower notified another pilot of the situation, saying, “I don’t know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach end of 3-3. We are going to be shutting down operations indefinitely if you want to return to the gate. Highly suggest you coordinate with the company. Let me know what you want to do,” referring to runway 33.

BREAKING🚨: A helicopter and a commercial jet collided mid-air while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Rescue operations involving boats are currently searching the Potomac River. pic.twitter.com/YVoivu8ohI

— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) January 30, 2025

Further audio revealed that another pilot had witnessed the incident and confirmed it with the controller. The pilot said, “Yeah, we were on a short final [the last part of an aircraft's approach to a runway], and we saw flares from the opposite side of the Potomac.”

An approach controller later added, “Apparently both aircraft involved are in the river, a search and rescue will be ongoing.”

As a result of the incident, several flights were diverted to other airports, and operations at Washington National Airport were temporarily halted.