Experienced Pilots Were on Routine Flight Before DC Crash, Army Says
- Instructor leading training had about 1,000 hours flight time
- Flight was part of ‘continuity of government mission’: Hegseth
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The US Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over Washington on Wednesday evening was manned by an experienced three-person crew conducting a routine training flight over familiar territory, a service official told reporters Thursday.
The instructor pilot conducting the evaluation, and who had command of the aircraft, had about 1,000 hours of flying time, said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for the Army’s aviation directorate. He added that’s a significant amount given the helicopters generally fly for about two hours at a time.