[The soldiers flying the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight on Wednesday night were from the Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion, a unit that regularly flies near Reagan National Airport. The pilots are typically highly experienced in navigating the complex airspace, with former pilots in the unit describing the area as one of the busiest aviation operation centers in the country.
The Black Hawk was on an annual proficiency training flight, and the soldiers flying it were “fairly experienced,” according to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The helicopter was flying along a route that drops down to its lowest altitude of the entire route, with the intention of getting low to “deconflict with aircraft at Reagan.” This is a routine procedure, with the unit flying this route multiple times a day.
In fact, roughly 100 government helicopter flights happen every day through the corridor where the crash happened, including by Army, Marine, Navy, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security aircraft. The pilots of the American Airlines flight were also experienced, according to the company’s CEO.
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