Helicopter Pilots Had Night Vision Goggles at Time of Crash. Expert Says They Could 'Make It Harder to See' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Andrew Harnik/Getty

Andrew Harnik/Getty

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the pilots aboard theArmy helicopter that collided with an American Airlines planethis week had night vision goggles — and an expert says that, if the goggles were being worn, that could have hurt the soldiers' ability to see other aircraft.

The American Airlines plane crashed into a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 29.

At least28 bodies had been recoveredas of noon on Thursday, Jan. 30, with all 67 people aboard both aircraftsbelieved to be dead, Washington, D.C., Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said.

On Thursday morning, Hegseth said ina video messageon X, “It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation.” He added, “They did have night vision goggles.”

Night vision goggles are designed to enhance operational safety and improve the pilot’s ability to see and avoid obstructions at night, per theFederal Aviation Administration.

While it’s still unclear if the crew of the helicopter was wearing the goggles, an active-duty U.S. Army pilot tells PEOPLE that the goggles may have actually hindered the pilots’ efforts to avert the crash.

“Those goggles are designed for situations where the only light is moonlight or starlight. If you already have a lot of things moving around and blinking, it could throw things off,” the pilot tells PEOPLE. “They could make it harder to see what’s going on in the sky.”

An aviation expert, along with the Army pilot, tells PEOPLE that Reagan National Airport can be especially difficult to fly into.

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“So it’s very common that aircraft are going on the Potomac," Garrow says, “but that probably also creates more congestion and things to manage, particularly if you’re mixing commercial and military operations.”

Crash site of the American Airlines flight.Alex Wong/Getty

Alex Wong/Getty

Her thoughts echoed those of the Army pilot who spoke with PEOPLE.

“Flying into that airspace, it is super busy. There is so much moving around. There’s darkness, blinking lights, and a lot of movement,” the pilot says. “In that environment, the night vision goggles would possibly make it harder to read the sky.”

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, which is now thedeadliest U.S. aircraft incident since 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed into a harbor in New York City and killed all 260 people on board.

source: people.com