The helicopter flight along the Potomac was a routine qualification flight.
Army Black Hawk crew involved in DC crash made up of 'top pilots' with thousands of hours of experienceEmergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Koziol confirmed to reporters on a conference call that the male instructor pilot had more than 1,000 hours of flight time, the female pilot who was commanding the flight at the time had more than 500 hours of flight time, and the crew chief was also said to have hundreds of hours of flight time. As part of their annual qualifications, all Army aviators are tested on their skills during daylight and nighttime, as well as instrument flying.
Night vision goggles are available for Army aviators during nighttime missions, but they are not always necessary, said Koziol, who noted that he did not know if the pilots were wearing the goggles during Wednesday night's flight.
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