Listen: Air traffic controller audio before the midair plane crash near D.C.

It’s early hours into the investigation into what caused the midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night just outside Washington, D.C. It will be some time before investigators can offer clear answers, but air traffic controller audio and radar reviewed by NPR offer some insight into the minutes before and immediately after the tragic crash.

Responders are still working to recover the bodies of the 67 victims — 64 people on the plane and three aboard the Black Hawk. Among the passengers of the jet were members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, several Russian figure skaters, coaches and family members, according to U.S. Figure Skating and Russian state media.

Minutes before the collision, controllers can be heard on their radios directing multiple planes taking off and landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Amid this heavy, but normal, traffic for the busy airport, the Black Hawk helicopter approaches airspace shared with multiple planes making their way in and out of Reagan. One plane, the American Airlines regional Bombardier CRJ jet carrying 64 people, appears on the radar as the one closest to the helicopter as it makes its approach to Reagan to land.

Within 30 seconds of the recording reviewed by NPR, the military helicopter (referred to as PAT 25 on the radio) is told by Reagan’s controllers that the plane is incoming and says, “traffic just south of the Woodrow Bridge, a CRJ, its 1,200 feet setting up for runway 33.”

The helicopter pilot acknowledges it sees an incoming plane, but it is unclear if it is looking at the correct aircraft. The conditions Wednesday night were dark, but clear. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump have said crew members on the helicopter were wearing night vision goggles, which can restrict the user’s line of vision.

The Black Hawk pilot is heard on the radio responding, “PAT 25, has the traffic in sight, request visual separation.” “Visual separation” means the pilot acknowledges that they see the incoming aircraft and are informing the air traffic controller that they will avoid getting too close to the plane. The tower then approves visual separation.

But almost 40 seconds later, the helicopter and airplane continue on the same path, according to the flight radar.

As the two aircraft get closer to each other, an air traffic controller checks in with the military helicopter asking the pilot, “PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?” The air traffic controller then tells the helicopter pilot to “pass behind” the American Airlines jet.

Richard Levy, a retired American Airlines pilot and aviation instructor, told NPR’s Here and Now that the controller was doing “a magnificent job” guiding aircraft through the air and found no fault with the instructions the controller gave both the helicopter and the American Airlines jet.

The helicopter pilot checks in saying that the plane is in sight and again requests “visual separation” which is granted. But the two aircraft continue on the same path. Seconds later, gasps and shouts can be heard from the air traffic control tower as the helicopter and jet collide.