Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided an update on the devastating midair collision that occurred last night in Washington, D.C., between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a civilian airliner.
The crash, which resulted in a tragic loss of life, is under urgent investigation by military officials.
At approximately 8:48 p.m., a UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to the U.S. Army Aviation Brigade at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, collided with the civilian aircraft.
The Army unit involved was identified as Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Fort Belvoir.
The Black Hawk’s crew was operating under night vision conditions, and the purpose of the flight was to maintain required operational proficiency.
Secretary Hegseth highlighted the experience of the crew involved, though details on their identities remain withheld pending next-of-kin notifications.
“It was an annual proficiency training flight,” said Hegseth in a video statement.
“When we look at the crew, and not all can have been notified, so we’re going to withhold the ranks and names at this point. We do know on our side who was involved.
He added, “It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles.”
In response to the tragedy, the Army’s Health Aviation Battalion has been granted a 48-hour operational pause on contingency missions as officials review what happened.
A senior-level aviation investigative team from the Army’s Aviation Safety Center was immediately deployed to Washington, D.C., to conduct a thorough investigation.
Hegseth emphasized that officials expect to quickly determine whether the aircraft was in the correct airspace and altitude at the time of the crash.
“We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter and at the right altitude at the time of the incident,” he said.
“As I mentioned, next-of-kin notifications are ongoing. It’s a tragedy—a horrible loss of life—for those 64 souls on that civilian airline and, of course, the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They’re in our prayers, as are their families and their communities.
“As people are notified, I can’t imagine what they are going through. I know it has gone from a rescue mission to a recovery mission, and we stand with all the first responders who are actively working.
“At the Defense Department, our thoughts and prayers go out. We are actively investigating to determine what happened and why. As we get updates, you will have them. God bless,” he concluded.
WATCH:
JUST IN: The Black Hawk helicopter involved in the midair collision had a “fairly experienced crew” on board and was doing an “annual proficiency training flight,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Live updates: https://t.co/7e0r9jNMqO pic.twitter.com/QcunEn1R9P
— ABC News (@ABC) January 30, 2025
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