Defense Sec. Hegseth on Plane Crash: ‘We Are Actively Investigating to Find Out What Happened and Why’

Hegseth But I also ░░░░░░░░ to give an update ░░░░░░░░ the tragedy that happened ░░░░░░░░ night here in Washington ░░░░░░░░ C and provide a ░░░░░░░░ bit more information as ░░░░░░░░ are actively working to ░░░░░░░░ and understand what occurred ░░░░░░░░ why At about 8 ░░░░░░░░ last night a UH ░░░░░░░░ assigned to the U ░░░░░░░░ Army Aviation Brigade in ░░░░░░░░ Military District of Washington ░░░░░░░░ Belvoir Virginia collided tragically ░░░░░░░░ a civilian airliner The ░░░░░░░░ unit involved was Bravo ░░░░░░░░ 12th Aviation Battalion at ░░░░░░░░ Belvoir It was an ░░░░░░░░ proficiency training flight And ░░░░░░░░ we look at the ░░░░░░░░ not all can have ░░░░░░░░ notified so we re ░░░░░░░░ to withhold ranks and ░░░░░░░░ at this point we ░░░░░░░░ know on our side ░░░░░░░░ was involved It was ░░░░░░░░ fairly experienced crew and ░░░░░░░░ was doing a required ░░░░░░░░ night evaluation They did ░░░░░░░░ night vision goggles The ░░░░░░░░ Aviation Battalion as of ░░░░░░░░ is granted a 48 ░░░░░░░░ operational pause on contingency ░░░░░░░░ as what happened is ░░░░░░░░ And a senior level ░░░░░░░░ team an investigative team ░░░░░░░░ our Aviation Safety Center ░░░░░░░░ deployed last night and ░░░░░░░░ is in Washington D ░░░░░░░░ to investigate what s ░░░░░░░░ on We anticipate that ░░░░░░░░ investigation will quickly be ░░░░░░░░ to determine whether the ░░░░░░░░ was in the corridor ░░░░░░░░ at the right altitude ░░░░░░░░ the time of the ░░░░░░░░ As I mentioned next ░░░░░░░░ kin notifications are ongoing ░░░░░░░░ s a tragedy a ░░░░░░░░ loss of life for ░░░░░░░░ 64 souls on that ░░░░░░░░ airliner and of course ░░░░░░░░ three soldiers in that ░░░░░░░░ Hawk They re in ░░░░░░░░ prayers their families and ░░░░░░░░ communities as people are ░░░░░░░░ I can t imagine ░░░░░░░░ I know it s ░░░░░░░░ s gone from a ░░░░░░░░ mission to a recovery ░░░░░░░░ and we re with ░░░░░░░░ the first responders that ░░░░░░░░ moving actively too So ░░░░░░░░ the Defense Department our ░░░░░░░░ and prayers go out ░░░░░░░░ are actively investigating to ░░░░░░░░ out what happened and ░░░░░░░░ And as we get ░░░░░░░░ you will have them ░░░░░░░░ bless.”