Pentagon Reveals Details of Military Helicopter Crash in Washington
The Pentagon on Thursday disclosed that the three soldiers aboard the U.S. Army Black Hawk
helicopter, which collided with an American Airlines passenger jet on Wednesday, were experienced
and equipped with night-vision goggles during their annual training mission at the time of the incident.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated in a video message that a special team of investigators has
already arrived at the crash site near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. He expects soon to
have answers regarding whether the helicopter was in its designated airspace and at the correct altitude
at the time of the collision.
Hegseth also confirmed that the involved Army unit has been grounded for 48 hours, a detail first
reported by Reuters.
Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, commented, “At this point, we don’t know why the military
helicopter entered the path of the plane.” From his side, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
described both the plane and the helicopter as following “their standard paths” Wednesday evening.
The passenger aircraft, which carried 60 passengers and four crew members, was en route to Ronald
Reagan Washington National Airport, while the military helicopter, carrying three personnel, was on a
training flight.
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