Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Thursday that the midair collision between a passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter occurred during a routine training exercise. Speaking from the White House, Hegseth acknowledged that "a mistake was made" and vowed a full investigation.
"No excuses. We're going to get to the bottom of this," he said.
The Black Hawk, carrying three servicemembers, was conducting an annual night-flight training exercise in a designated government air corridor when the crash happened Wednesday night.
"The military does dangerous things. It does routine things on a regular basis. Tragically, last night, a mistake was made," Hegseth stated.
Preliminary findings suggest an "elevation issue" may have contributed to the collision. The Department of Defense and the Army have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause.
As recovery operations continued in the Potomac River Thursday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration officials told lawmakers that first responders have yet to retrieve the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder—commonly known as black boxes—from the CRJ-700 aircraft.
The black boxes, which capture cockpit conversations and critical flight data, will be crucial to the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the cause of the collision.
President Donald Trump on Thursday said there were no survivors from the crash.
"The work has now shifted to a recovery mission," Trump said from the White House briefing room, adding Wednesday was "a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history."
The soldiers piloting the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the American Airlines flight were part of the Army's 12th Aviation Battalion, a unit known for operating in the complex airspace near Reagan National Airport.
Former battalion pilots told CNN that members of the unit are typically highly experienced in navigating the area.
Based out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the 12th Aviation Battalion frequently flies missions along the Potomac River and past Reagan National, often transporting senior military leaders, Pentagon officials, and other VIPs across the region.
