Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has spoken out following the deadly collision between a civilian airliner and a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, which claimed at least 64 lives, including all three soldiers aboard the helicopter.
The crash, which occurred Wednesday evening around 9:00 PM local time, involved a military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, as covered by TTOA. The FAA quickly responded, issuing a ground stop at the airport as emergency teams worked to manage the aftermath.
In a video statement obtained exclusively by Fox News, Hegseth provided insight into the military helicopter’s mission at the time of the crash. He explained that the Black Hawk was performing a required annual proficiency training flight, which included a standard night evaluation.
“We do know on our side who was involved. It was a fairly experienced crew, and that was doing a required annual night evaluation,” said Hegseth.
He added that an investigation is underway to determine whether the helicopter was operating at the correct altitude during the incident.
“We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter at the right altitude at the time of the incident,” he noted.
As the investigation continues, authorities have confirmed the tragic loss of life. DC Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly reported that nearly 30 bodies have been recovered so far, with 27 victims from the plane and one from the helicopter.
“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Donnelly stated in a press conference Thursday morning, per Fox News.
Among the passengers on board the plane were Spencer Lane, a member of the U.S. figure skating team and Russian world champion couple Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
In the aftermath, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser praised the tireless work of first responders, who battled through frigid conditions to recover bodies from the Potomac River.
“I want to thank our first responders for their tireless work through this tragic situation,” Bowser said during a briefing.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who had been sworn in just hours before the collision, also vowed to get to the bottom of the crash. Duffy emphasized that both the airplane and the helicopter had been operating within “standard” flight patterns at the time.
“Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely, that when you depart an airport, you get to your destination,” he said.
“That didn’t happen last night.”
The tragedy has sparked widespread public reaction, including a statement from President Donald Trump, who called the crash “a bad situation” and suggested it could have been avoided.
“It looks like it should have been prevented,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Vice President JD Vance also offered his thoughts, urging people to “say a prayer for everyone involved” in the devastating incident.
The crash has raised questions about how such a collision could have occurred on a clear night, with both aircraft reportedly following standard procedures.
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