Pentagon probes crash by 'experienced' Black Hawk crew, halts flights

Washington: The US Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet in Washington was being operated on a training flight by a "fairly experienced crew" with night-vision goggles, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, as the Pentagon ordered a 48-hour pause in flying for the Virginia-based unit involved. In the aftermath of the collision of the Army Black Hawk and American Airlines passenger jet on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump appeared to question the helicopter's crew and air traffic controllers while suggesting, without evidence, that the crash was the result of the Federal Aviation Administration's efforts to hire a more diverse and equitable workforce. Daniel Driscoll, Trump's nominee for Army secretary, said the crash appears to have been preventable. The helicopter struck the jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River. Authorities have said there were no survivors. The cause of the crash is under investigation. The airport is located in Arlington, Virginia, across the river from Washington.

"The people in the helicopter should have seen where they were going," Trump said at a White House press conference, though at one point he said warnings by air traffic control were given too late.

"For some reason, you had a helicopter that was at the same height and going at an angle that was unbelievably bad," Trump added.

In a video statement, Hegseth said there was a crew of three soldiers on the training flight. Officials have not identified the soldiers involved.

"It was a fairly experienced crew and it was doing a required annual night evaluation," Hegseth said 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.

During an appearance later with Trump at the White House, Hegseth told reporters that there appears to have been an elevation issue with the Black Hawk, and said Army investigators were on the ground looking into the matter.

Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff of the Army's aviation directorate, told reporters that the instructor pilot, who was the designated pilot in command, had 1,000 flying hours while the other pilot had 500 hours. The third soldier was a crew chief, typically riding in the back of the helicopter.

Koziol, a former Army aviator, said that the route over the Potomac river, known as Route 4, was flown regularly by military pilots.

Koziol added that the crew members ordinarily would use visual cues and interact with air traffic control to ensure that they avoided any risk.

"This is a relatively easy corridor to fly, because you're flying down the center of the river, and it's very easily identifiable, especially at night," Koziol said.

"This should not have been a problem," Koziol said, adding that the maximum altitude for Route 4 is 200 feet (61 meters). It is unclear how high the Black Hawk was flying.

The helicopter was from the 12th Aviation Battalion, which is based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The unit, which is responsible for helicopter flights in the U.S. capital area and can be used to carry senior U.S. government officials, will be grounded for 48 hours, Hegseth said. Reuters was first to report on the operational pause.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that other helicopters, like those from the National Guard, could be allowed to help in recovery efforts following the crash.

Driscoll appeared on Thursday at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"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 told the senators.

Driscoll added that if he was confirmed there would be a focus on a culture of safety in the Army.

"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," Driscoll added.

Military helicopters are a common sight around the Washington region that is home to numerous military bases. It is not uncommon for the military to order pauses after accidents or crashes.