RIP

Extremely tense audio reveals air traffic controllers warned the U.S. Army helicopter that fatally crashed into an American Airlines passenger plane in Washington D.C. Wednesday night moments before the catastrophe.

With escalating urgency, the control tower asks ... "PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?" and instructs the military Black Hawk helicopter to "pass behind" the aircraft. That warning came about 30 seconds before American Airlines Flight 5342 -- a Bombardier CRJ 700 -- collided with the chopper in mid-air near Reagan Washington National Airport.

The collision sent both aircraft crashing into the icy Potomac River ... with no survivors expected. There were 64 people on the American Airlines plane -- including four crew members -- and 3 soldiers were on board the Black Hawk helicopter.

At least 30 bodies have been pulled from the river, and the first responders now say their rescue mission has become a recovery effort.

8:30 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the Washington Wizards tells TMZ Sports they're planning to honor the crash victims with a moment of silence before their game against the Lakers in D.C. later Thursday.

D.C.-area sports teams are sending their thoughts and prayers to the dozens of people who are believed to have lost their lives in a midair plane crash Wednesday night.

The Nationals said in a statement they were "devastated" by the fatal collision that occurred when a Black Hawk helicopter seemed to fly into an American Airlines jet just above the Potomac River.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones," the MLB org. wrote.

President Donald Trump is weighing in on Wednesday night's fatal midair plane crash, blaming the helicopter pilot for the tragedy in which officials fear there's no survivors.

DT hopped on his Truth Social platform after the American Airlines flight collided with the Black Hawk helicopter, putting the onus for it all on the operator of the chopper.

47 wrote, "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn."

8:53 AM PT -- Kyle Salewski, who took the video, tells TMZ ... he was in town for the inauguration and took the video because he was shocked -- but not concerned -- how close the choppers were to his plane. He didn't think much of it afterward, until he saw the crash news this morning -- and was compelled to share his experience.

Tons of people are searching for a reason behind the plane crash in Washington, D.C. that has claimed dozens of lives ... and, new video shows just how close helicopters fly to commercial planes.

A user on X posted a clip late Wednesday night ... sharing a video he says he took six days ago -- showing two helicopters flying to the left of an airplane as it takes off from a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

U.S. ice dancer Anton Spiridonov is refuting reports he was among those on board the American Airlines flight that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday ... saying he is safe as his community deals with the heartbreaking news.

"Russian news outlets have included me on a list of presumed people on the flight from Wichita to Washington D.C.," 26-year-old Spiridonov said Thursday morning.

"I was NOT on this flight, thank you for everyone's concern for my safety. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this tragedy."

Horrifying stories are beginning to trickle out following the midair collision of an American Airlines flight with an Army Black Hawk helicopter ... one man says his passenger wife texted him she was about to land before their conversation was suddenly cut short.

During an interview with WUSA, Hamaad Raza told a reporter he was praying that authorities would pull his wife's body out of frigid waters near Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. after the Wednesday night crash.

The AA flight — carrying 64 souls -- was flying from Wichita, Kansas to D.C. when it collided with the helicopter, which was on a training flight with 3 soldiers aboard.

U.S. Figure Skating team members, former world champions, coaches and more are tragically among the passengers onboard the American Airlines plane that collided with the U.S. Army helicopter in Washington D.C.

Members of the U.S. Figure Skating community were returning from Wichita, Kansas, where they were participating in a development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

U.S. Figure Skating did not identify any team members and said in a statement, "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families close in our hearts."

12:55 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us ... Ken Flores suffered cardiac arrest in his residence Tuesday afternoon. We're told someone at the scene called 911 and administered CPR until paramedics arrived ... but KF was pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected.

Comedian Ken Flores has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office -- Flores died on Tuesday, January 28.

His family shared the surprising news on his Instagram account Wednesday, writing ... "It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our friend, brother, and son, Kenyi Flores." They asked for privacy as they're shocked and devastated by the loss.

Soap star Esta TerBlanche's cause of death has been revealed 6 months after her passing ... TMZ has learned the actress died from an intracranial hemorrhage.

A spokesperson for the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner tells TMZ ... Esta's fatal brain bleed was caused due to a blunt force traumatic head injury ... which likely occurred from a ground-level fall.

Because of this finding, the Medical Examiner's office has ruled the late South African actress' death an accident.

New footage shows the first peak inside O.J. Simpson's Las Vegas home ... including his deathbed and the stash of personal items going up for auction.

TMZ obtained this video from inside O.J.'s Sin City residence -- filmed shortly after his April 2024 death -- and it shows the hospice bed where he took his last breaths.

The bed will NOT go up for sale, though, since it was taken back by the hospice services after O.J.'s death -- but almost everything else WILL soon go up for auction. Malcolm LaVergne -- the attorney serving as the special administrator of O.J.'s estate -- will attempt to liquidate The Juice's assets to pay back Simpson's creditors.

Ryan Whyte Maloney -- famous for appearing on the singing competition show "The Voice" -- is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Ryan died by suicide Tuesday in Nevada, according to the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner, with the official cause of death listed as a gunshot wound to the head.

The night before he died, Ryan posted a video on his Instagram Story appearing to show him in a bar.

A 57-year-old man watching his son compete at a track meet was tragically killed when he was struck with a hammer during an event.

The terrible accident happened at the University of Colorado At Colorado Springs (UCCS) campus on Sunday morning, where high school track and field athletes from across the state were competing.

During the hammer throw event, competitors throw a weighted ball (usually weighing 12 lbs. for boys in H.S.) attached to a grip with wire, as far as possible.

Nautica Malone, the Arizona man who cops say killed himself after being caught on camera masturbating at a coffee shop, told his brother he loved him before taking his own life ... TMZ has learned.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Nautica's brother told cops Malone called him and told him he loved him and to "pull up." He says they only spoke on the phone for a minute and Nautica did not sound like his normal self.

Nautica's brother says he'd also gotten a missed call from him earlier in the day ... and after growing concerned about their conversation, he got Nautica's location from his wife and arrived at the scene to find his brother dead in his car from a gunshot wound to the head.

Legendary TV sitcom actress Linda Lavin died of lung cancer and other health issues, TMZ has learned.

TMZ has obtained Linda's death certificate, which reveals the "Alice" star died after a cardiopulmonary arrest -- which stops blood from pumping into your heart, typically causing the person to fall unconscious -- with lung cancer listed as the underlying cause.

In 2024, Linda was given a bronchoscopy -- a procedure in which a physician looks inside your airways to treat or diagnose a lung condition. Linda was cremated in January at the Los Angeles home of her husband, Steve Bakunas, according to the document.

Norbert, best known as the viral high-fiving therapy dog, has died ... this according to his owner, Julie Steines.

Julie shared the somber update on Instagram Monday, informing fans "with a heavy heart" that the beloved pup -- full name Saint Norbert Liv Freyermuth Steines -- passed away in her arms Sunday night.

Per Julie, she and her family are heartbroken following Norbert's death ... which came 2 months shy of his 16th birthday.

It's been less than a week since 17-year-old Solomon Henderson opened fire and killed a fellow student at Antioch High School in Nashville ... and new 911 audio reveals just how harrowing the ordeal was for the community.

As you can hear in the audio, obtained by TMZ ... several students begged for police assistance after Henderson shot 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante in the cafeteria, killing her, before turning the gun on himself.

The recordings are certainly bone-chilling, as one student describes hearing "a pop" to one 911 operator ... confirming the violence was taking place in the Tennessee school's cafeteria.