Defense Secretary Pete Hegseeth addressed the American people after the fatal collision In which an American Airlines plane and an army helicopter outside Reagan National Airport are involved. Hegseeth says the crash took place while the Black Hawk was on an annual skill training flight.
“We know on our side that was involved. It was a reasonably experienced crew, and that did a required annual night evaluation,” said Hegseeth in a video report that was exclusively obtained by Fox News. “We expect that the investigation will be able to determine quickly whether the aircraft was at the right height at the time of the incident at the quarter.”
“It is a tragedy, a terrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian plane. And of course, the three soldiers in that black hawk. They are in our prayers, their families and their communities as people,” ” Hegseeth, “Hegseeth,” Hegseeth, “Hegseeth” added.
Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage in the Potomac River of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, VA. (Carolyn throws/AP photo)
On Wednesday, around 9 p.m. local time, the FAA spent a basic stop on Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a military helicopter collided with three soldiers with a civil plan with 60 passengers and four crew members.
In a press conference on Thursday morning, DC Fire and EMS chef John A. Donnelly were announced that almost 30 bodies had been found so far from the scope of the collision. At the moment the authorities do not believe that there are survivors, Donnelly added.
“We found 27 people from the plane and one of the helicopter,” he added. “Despite all these efforts, we are now at a point where we switch from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”
Part of the wreck is seen as life boats in the waters of the Potomac River after an airplane on the approach of Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 against the river near Washington, DC had crashed. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty images)
American Airlines CEO expresses ‘deep sorrow’ after the collision in the air
Mayor Muriel Bowser thanked the first care providers for working in a “very cold” river during the night in what started as a search and rescue mission, which is now a recovery mission.
Transport secretary Sean Duffy, who was sworn in hours before the collision, promised to get answers on behalf of the families of the clashes and the American people. Duffy noted that the collision took place on a clear night and that both the plane and the helicopter were in “standard” patterns.
“Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in the American skies expects us to fly safely, that when you leave an airport, you will come to your destination. That did not happen last night,” Duffy said. Duffy believes that so far the evidence indicates that the collision could be “absolutely” prevented.
The flight of the American Airlines from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter while he approached Ronald Reagan National Airport. According to reports, there were no survivors among 67 people on board both aircraft. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty images)
In a blunt truth social post, president Donald Trump The crash called “a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.”
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Shortly after the collision, Vice President JD Vance encouraged people to say ‘a prayer for all involved’.
