Man who saw American Airlines plane collide with helicopter describes moment he saw 'shooting star' in sky

A man who watched the American Airlines plane crash unfold in the skies has told how he initially thought the collision was 'a shooting star'.

Jimmy Mazeo described how he saw 'white flares' erupting above him as he enjoyed an evening at Gravelly Point, which he said was 'right next to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The lad, who was with his girlfriend, recounted what he witnessed in the lead up to the disaster on Wednesday (29 January) night.

Dozens are feared dead after the horror crash last night in Washington D.C (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The American Airlines plane, which was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, pummelled into the Potomac River after colliding with a US Army helicopter in mid-air.

It was set to land on Runway 33 at the airport after departing from Wichita, Kansas, and pilots were preparing to land when the tragedy took place.

The Bombardier CRJ700 collided with a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which the Pentagon said was carrying three US soldiers.

Chilling audio recorded in the aftermath of the devastating crash has emerged, where an airline official can be heard describing a 'fireball' erupting in front of their eyes.

At least 19 bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River so far, according to the BBC, while rescue efforts remain underway.

Local resident Jimmy Mazeo explained that he was 'taking in the nice views' at Gravelly Point, a popular plane-spotting spot situated on the west side of the Potomac River and immediately north of the airport. Take a look at what he had to say here:

"I was with my girlfriend, we were eating dinner just as normal, taking in the nice views," he told WUSA9.

"We noticed the planes all kind of dispersed from the regular landing patterns."

Discussing how they then looked up to see 'white flares', Mazeo explained that he and his partner initially weren't that alarmed.

"We didn't think much of it, we thought they were shooting stars," he continued. "We didn't really think much of it until we saw the fire trucks starting to go out to the tarmac and the police cars and the police boats.

"It was insane. It was really insane.I'm really just in awe. It's terrible what happened tonight, it's crazy that we got to experience what happened tonight.

"I'm praying for all the people that are involved in this."

Jimmy Mazeo revealed that he initially thought the collision was a 'shooting star' (WUSA9)

Heartbreakingly, a man has also told how he received a final text from his wife who was travelling on the fateful flight shortly before it crashed.

President Donald Trump praised emergency services for their 'incredible work', while raising questions about whether the crash could 'have been prevented'.

American Airlines boss Robert Isom also shared a statement announcing that he was heading to Washington DC to aid the investigation into the tragedy.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the incident.