Pete Hegseth calls DC plane crash ‘horrible loss of life’ for 64 aboard the American Airlines jet

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called the horrific Washington DC plane crash a “horrible loss of life” while providing an update on the incident Thursday

Pete Hegseth provided an update on the horrific mid-air collision of the American Airlines regional jet and the Black Hawk helicopter. Calling the accident a “horrible loss of life” for all those aboard the civilian aircraft, the defence secretary revealed that the army chopper was carrying three soldiers.

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 27: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth answers questions while arriving at the Pentagon for the first time since being confirmed January 27, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Hegseth answered questions from reporters briefly before entering the Pentagon. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by WIN MCNAMEE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth calls American Airlines jet-military helicopter collision ‘horrible loss of life’

In a video shared on X by the Department of Defence, Hegseth said, “At about 8:48 last night, a UH60, assigned to the U.S. Army Aviation Brigade in the military district of Washington, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, collided tragically with a civilian airliner.”

While he declined to identify the soldiers onboard the chopper, Hegseth revealed, “The Army unit involved was with Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir. It was an annual proficiency training flight.”

“We do know on our side who was involved. It was a fairly experienced crew and that was doing a required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles,” the defence secretary went on, adding that the department is actively investigating the accident.

“It's a tragedy, a horrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian airliner. And, of course, the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They're in our prayers, their families and their communities as people are notified. I can't imagine and I know it's it's gone from a rescue mission to a recovery mission,” Hegseth said.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin echoed similar sentiments, telling Fox News that it was “heart-wrenching” to switch from rescue to a recovery mission. He praised the first responders, who “immediately” arrived on the scene in large numbers.

“It’s been a tragically horrific night. The notice this morning that all teams had shifted from rescue to recovery is just heart wrenching. And it is heart wrenching for the families that I know were expecting a loved one to be home with them last night,” Youngkin said.