सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Kathmandu. Audio of the fatal crash, in which controllers warned a US military helicopter that it was on course to collide with a passenger plane, can be heard gasping for breath.
In the fatal mid-air collision on Wednesday night, the helicopter struck a Bombardier plane operated by a subsidiary of American Airlines as it approached Reagan National Airport for landing. After a “fireball” explosion, both planes plunged into the snow-covered Potomac River. “PAT 2-5, did you see CRJ?” A controller asked if he could see the plane, using the call sign of a Black Hawk helicopter.
“Pat 2-5, get behind the CRJ,” the controller requested. Moments later, a breathless voice is heard, asking, “Tower, did you see that?” Another air traffic controller said after the crash, “I just saw a ball of fire and then it was gone. I didn’t see anything after they hit the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit.”
Massive first responder operations were underway overnight into Thursday morning. However, the chances of finding any survivors seemed slim. More than 30 bodies were pulled from the dark, black water, which experts say is so cold that it could cause hypothermia, according to local media. Pilot and aviation expert Kyle Bailey told Fox News that if the plane had been allowed to land, it would have had to deviate from the path. More than 70 people died in the crash. Of those, 20 bodies have been recovered.
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