(NewsNation) — Investigators are looking at the factors that contributed to Wednesday’s tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C., and they may consider whether night vision goggles played a role.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that a “fairly experienced” crew was conducting an “annual proficiency training flight” in the military helicopter when it collided with the civilian airplane. The helicopter operators were wearing night vision goggles.
U.S. Rep Mark Green, R-Tenn., a former flight surgeon for the U.S. Army Night Stalkers, told NewsNation that flying in an urban environment with night vision presents challenges but moving lights, like those on a plane, should have been detectable.
“If the [night vision goggles] are on, you should see those lights,” he told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on Thursday.
Instead, the bigger issue may have been “target fixation,” meaning the helicopter crew was focused on something else, like another plane.
“I’ve investigated crashes before where target fixation was the issue,” Green said. “They get their eyes locked on one other thing and they miss the thing in their periphery.”
Green also pointed out that the helicopter only had one crew chief, which may have made it harder to spot hazards.
“The aircraft that I flew in had two, one on each side, and those crew chiefs are literally outside the aircraft, especially in a situation where they’re this low,” he said.
Watch the full interview with Green in the video player above.
