Video shows American Airlines plane wreckage in Potomac River as recovery operation continues

Tower did you see that?

DC plane crash air traffic control audio reveals moment controllers saw disaster

Everybody hold your positions on the field right now,

a female controller says

All runways are closed. Nobody's landing, no one moving at all,

she tells the fire command, ... adding that

I’m sure there will be some second guessing, but I suspect that when everything is done and the dust settles the chances are really good that they’ll talk about a lack of communication between the aircraft,

Rounds said

What we’re seeing right now is what happens if you have a lack of communication or a misunderstanding,

Rounds, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told "Fox & Friends First."

The water that we’re operating in is about eight feet deep. There is wind. There are pieces of ice out there. So it’s just dangerous and hard to work in,

Donnelly told the New York Post

PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ,

an air traffic controller said at 8.47pm on Wednesday

It was probably out in the middle of the river,

the controller said

I don't know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach into 33. We're going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future,

another controller remarked

Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river,

a third air traffic controller can be heard saying

Yeah, we were on short final and we saw flares from the opposite side of the Potomac.

The pilot who witnessed the devastating collision said

Apparently both aircraft involved are in the river, a search and rescue will be ongoing.

An approach controller later said

I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone,

Another pilot in the vicinity reported ... communicating the harrowing scene over the radio

PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.”

It then again makes another radio call to PAT25 moments later

We're aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident. We will provide information as it becomes available."

On its website, American Airlines said in a statement