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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.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are back on the radar -- spotted at Tokyo International Airport after weeks off the grid!

Not sure if they’re back stateside yet ... but Ye and Bianca were in full flex mode, with the Aussie turning heads as always in yet another skintight showstopper.

They were cruising on the moving walkway -- Bianca rocking a skintight white metallic fit, underwear peeking through and all… and shades on, naturally, for that signature A-list mystery appeal.

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."

Logan Paul is on the hunt for whoever jacked expensive watches from his luggage during a recent trip ... claiming he believes some TSA agents with sticky fingers are behind the $300k swipe.

The WWE Superstar laid out what he thinks happened in his latest vlog ... telling his brother, Jake, he's no longer in possession of the $50,000 Audemars Piguet he gifted him for Christmas.

"It got stolen at the airport," the Maverick said. "I have reason to believe someone opened my bag during TSA and nabbed it out of there."

Sophie Turner says a girls' getaway to a tropical location was all it took for her to find happiness ... and she's got the pics to prove it.

The "Game of Thrones" star just shared a photo dump from her vacation to the Maldives on social media ... and the trip looks amazing.

Sophie went snorkeling and saw a bunch of tropical fish, dolphins and sea turtles ... and she caught a bunch of rays on the beach in her bikini.

A passenger plane with almost 200 people onboard caught fire as it was set to depart from an airport in South Korea ... and the inferno is on video.

The blaze destroyed an Air Busan plane at Gimhae International Airport in Busan ... and miraculously all 169 passengers and 7 crew members escaped on the jumbo jet's evacuation slides. Only a few folks suffered minor injuries.

Dramatic video shows the Airbus A321 engulfed in flames on the tarmac Tuesday night, with firefighters trying to douse the blaze as smoke billows from the fuselage.

Olivia Ponton is putting her fit frame on display with a series of colorful bikinis she packed for her getaway to Hawaii.

The Sports Illustrated model proves she's bringing the heat to the Pacific islands, rocking not one, not two ... but SIX skin-showing 2-pieces for her tropical vacay.

For instance, Olivia is beyond jaw-dropping in one neon pink swimsuit ... which includes a teeny tube top and itty-bitty matching bottoms

Emily Ratajkowski is proving swimsuit season can last all year ... rocking a number of colorful bikinis for an adventure below the equator.

Check it out ... the model dons her skimpiest, most vibrant 2-pieces for a trip abroad to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. EmRata is clearly making the most of the nice weather in South America, hitting up more than one beachfront spot with friends.

In one snap, Emily goes makeup-free in an itty-bitty pale yellow bikini ... which barely covers her buds.

Donald Trump's going from wildfires to wild winnings ... 'cause he's already traded in L.A. for L.V. -- stopping for a speech at a popular Las Vegas casino.

The POTUS hit up Circa in downtown Vegas Saturday for a speaking engagement ... and, he even stopped on the casino floor -- waving to a crowd of cheering gamblers who chanted "U.S.A." for the newly minted 47th president.

Check out the clip ... tons of smiling workers want to shake DJT's hand -- and, the Secret Service does an admirable job keeping the crowd from closing in on DJT.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are already getting back into the groove of things ... boarding Air Force One for the first time since 2021.

Check it out ... Trump and his wife looked ready to get to work as they were seen exiting the White House ahead of 47's planned visits to North Carolina and California Friday.

Trump, for his action-packed day, dressed casually for the ride on Marine One, the helicopter that took them to AF1 ... wearing a long black trench coat, jeans, and a dark zip-up.

Maren Morris is prioritizing girl time in the aftermath of her divorce and coming out as bisexual ... she's hit up Mexico for some rest and relaxation with her gal pals.

Check it out ... the country singer dons a little black bikini with a white rose detail for a beach trip in Tulum, Mexico on Wednesday.

Maren appears to make the most of the nice weather, lounging beneath a palapa with a couple of friends. She even lights up a cigarette while chatting it up with her fellow vacationers.

A large number of people were injured -- some severely -- when a ski lift collapsed at a resort in Spain on Saturday, videos of the aftermath show.

Of the dozens hurt, at least nine people reportedly suffered serious injuries ... while dozens more were trapped on the damaged chairlift at the resort in the Spanish region of Aragon.

Shortly after local reports were out ... several videos were shared via social media showing the injured strewn about the slop among what appeared to be scattered poles and ski boots ... while emergency crews tried to make their way to them.

Frontier Airlines is adamant they were NOT in the wrong when they booted UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov off a flight this weekend ... claiming the 29-0 fighter ignored a flight attendant's instructions before takeoff.

But, TMZ Sports just spoke to someone close to Khabib, who says that's simply false.

First, Frontier's side of things. The airline says Khabib -- who was seated in an exit row -- failed to indicate he was willing and able to assist in the event of an emergency.