Black Hawk tragedy: Investigation launched after crash at Reagan airport
The crew of the crashed Black Hawk helicopter was highly experienced and was undertaking an annual night flying test, announced the new Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth. He stated that the initiated investigation will determine whether the helicopter was following the correct flight path.
On Wednesday, there was an accident involving a Black Hawk helicopter, which collided with a passenger plane during a night training flight. The new Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, emphasised that the crew was experienced and was conducting an annual night flying test.
Hegseth announced that an investigation has been launched to determine if the helicopter was flying the correct path and at the proper altitude. In a video posted on platform X, Hegseth noted that the crew was equipped with night vision goggles, which were meant to aid in conducting the flight safely.
Operational pause for the unit
The unit to which the soldiers belonged is the 12th Aviation Battalion of the US Army stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. They received an order for a 48-hour operational pause. This decision is intended to allow for a thorough analysis of the accident and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Hegseth expressed hope that the investigation will quickly provide answers to the questions regarding the cause of the accident.
The Bombardier CRJ 700 passenger plane of American Airlines, operated by PSA Airlines, flying from Wichita, collided on Wednesday evening with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter just before the runway at Ronald Reagan Airport in Arlington near Washington, D.C.
Onboard the Bombardier were 64 passengers and four crew members, while the US Army press services reported that three soldiers were aboard the helicopter. All are most likely deceased.
