A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided with a CRJ700 passenger plane near Washington, D.C., while conducting a routine night training exercise for the U.S. Army.

At the time of the collision on the night of January 29, the UH-60 Black Hawk was operated by a "highly experienced crew" equipped with night vision goggles, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The three service members aboard were carrying out "an annual nighttime training exercise as required by Army regulations."

The Pentagon has not yet released the names or ranks of the crew members pending notification of their families.

Hegseth confirmed that the service members were assigned to the U.S. Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz previously stated that all three crew members aboard the helicopter were officers. The Army also confirmed that the Black Hawk was engaged in a "training mission" when it collided with the CRJ700 passenger plane.

Ron McLendon, an Army spokesperson for the Washington, D.C., region, said the Army is coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the crash, with the NTSB leading the inquiry.

Military investigators are examining whether the UH-60 Black Hawk was operating within the designated airspace and altitude. The Army unit responsible for the helicopter has suspended operations until the Pentagon completes its investigation into the tragedy near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

During a press briefing on January 30, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that both the military helicopter and the passenger aircraft were flying on "normal, approved flight paths" before the collision. He emphasized that military helicopters frequently operate over the Potomac River.

"There was nothing unusual about the flight paths of either the Army helicopter or the passenger jet within D.C. airspace. Everything appeared to be proceeding as expected before the collision," Duffy said.

However, Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines—the parent company of PSA Airlines, which operated the CRJ700—expressed skepticism about the military aircraft’s "proper" operation.

"We still don’t understand why a military helicopter was flying directly in the path of a commercial airliner," Isom said.

The CRJ700, carrying 64 people, broke into three pieces after colliding with the Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Rescue teams have recovered more than 30 bodies from the Potomac River. John Donnelly, head of Washington’s fire and emergency medical services, stated that the likelihood of any additional survivors is extremely low.

(Sources: Fox, CBS, CNN)

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