WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Army helicopter involved in an overnight collision with a passenger jet near Washington involved a “fairly experienced crew” that was operating with night vision goggles, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, as the Pentagon ordered a 48-hour pause in flying for the unit involved in the crash.
A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger jet on Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River. The military helicopter was on a training flight, but it is unclear what caused the crash. Authorities have said there were no survivors.
In a video statement, Hegseth said that the crew of three soldiers was on an annual proficiency training flight.
“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 said.
The helicopter from the 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, would be grounded for 48 hours, Hegseth said. The unit is responsible for helicopter flights in the Washington D.C. area.
Reuters was first to report on the operational pause.
One official said that other helicopters, like those from the National Guard, will still be allowed to help in recovery efforts, the official added.
Military helicopters are a common sight around the U.S. capital region that is home to numerous military bases. It is not uncommon for the military to order pauses after accidents or crashes.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Will Dunham and Nick Zieminski)
