Haunting air traffic control audio from American Airlines plane crash reveals what was said right before it happened

Harrowing audio recorded moments before and after an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter yesterday (29 January) has been released.

The crash occurred in mid-air, whilst the PSA Airlines jet (AA 5432) was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington DC after originally departing from Wichita, Kansas.

At around 21:00 local time, the aircraft collided with a Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, which itself had departed from from Fort Belvoir, Virginia hours earlier.

According to witnesses of the devastating collision, both aircrafts subsequently plummeted into the Potomac River, with search teams, boats and helicopters having since been dispatched to search for any survivors.

The passenger jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when the fatal crash occurred, with 19 bodies have been recovered from the water, according to CBS.

Three people were also travelling inside the helicopter at the time.

In the hours since, audio from air traffic control has emerged, having been recorded from moments before and after the collision.

In the clip, ATC operators can be heard asking the helicopter's pilot if they could see the American Airlines flight.

18 bodies have been recovered so far (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The muffled audio also hears more commands and confirmations being made by air traffic control staff, with one being heard asking: "PAT 2-5 do you have the CRJ in sight?"

The same controller can be heard requesting moments later: "Pat 2-5 pass behind the CRJ."

Seconds later, an audible gasp can be heard at the moment of the crash from the tower, which immediately alerted another pilot of the collision.

CNN further report that the controller then says: "I don't know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach end 3-3. We are going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future if you want to go back to the gate."

The audio then continued with the same controller advising: "Highly suggest you guys coordinate with the company. Let me know what you want to do."

The clip also revealed that another pilot had witnessed the crash and confirmed the incident with ATC, adding: "Yeah, we were on short final and we saw flares from the opposite side of the Potomac."

At a press conference later that evening, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly says they 'don't know if there are any survivors', adding that his team will be working with the National Transportation Safety Board to help any preserve evidence indicating what had resulted in the collision.

He emphasised, however, that first responders to the scene of the crash hadn't yet given up hope.

"We will re-evaluate where we are with a rescue operation in the morning, when we get a better sense of it." he said.

Donnelly also explained that the freezing temperatures and dark conditions in the water are proving difficult for rescue teams to work in.

"There is wind. There are pieces of ice in the water... And because there is not a lot of light, you are out there searching every square inch of space," he continued. "These are very tough conditions for [rescuers] to dive in."