Washington: The U.S. Army helicopter involved in the tragic mid-air collision with an American Airlines passenger jet near Washington, D.C., was operated by a “fairly experienced crew” undergoing a night training evaluation with night-vision goggles, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Thursday. In response to the incident, the Pentagon ordered a 48-hour pause for the Virginia-based unit involved in the crash, which resulted in the deaths of all those onboard both aircraft.
In a video statement, Hegseth detailed the training flight, which was conducted with a crew of three soldiers, but did not reveal their identities.
“It was a fairly experienced crew, and it was doing a required annual night evaluation,” Hegseth explained in the video.
“We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the corridor and at the right altitude at the time of the incident,” Hegseth added.
Investigations and Concerns Over Training Location
The collision occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River. Authorities have confirmed there were no survivors, and the cause of the crash is under active investigation.
Following the incident, Daniel Driscoll, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Army Secretary, suggested during his Senate confirmation hearing that the crash might have been preventable and questioned the safety of conducting such training flights near a busy airport like Reagan National.
“I am seeing the same things I believe you are, on television. It is an accident that seems to be preventable from what we can tell today,” Driscoll said, adding that his priority would be fostering a culture of safety within the Army.
Driscoll also stressed the importance of evaluating where training risks should be taken.
“I think we might need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk, and it may not be near an airport like Reagan,” he suggested.
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48-Hour Pause and Investigation Progress
The helicopter involved was part of the 12th Aviation Battalion based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, which is responsible for operating helicopters in the Washington D.C. area. Hegseth confirmed that the unit would be grounded for 48 hours as part of the investigation.
An unnamed official noted that other helicopters, such as those from the National Guard, could assist in recovery efforts in the aftermath of the crash.
The Pentagon’s pause in flight operations follows a common military practice after aviation incidents, with previous pauses ordered after other crashes in the area.
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Ongoing Investigation
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with Army investigators looking into potential elevation issues with the Black Hawk and whether the helicopter was in the correct flight corridor at the time of the collision. Military helicopters are frequently seen in the Washington region, where there are numerous military bases, and safety concerns over training in such a crowded airspace are raising questions about possible regulatory changes moving forward.
