On Wednesday night, a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines flight 5342 near Washington, D.C., killing three troops and 64 passengers. The helicopter was conducting a continuity of government (COG) training exercise, possibly related to evacuating critical sites like the White House.
The identities of two crew members were released, but a third, a female co-pilot, was withheld per her family’s request. The cause of the crash is under investigation, with both black boxes recovered. The incident occurred in congested airspace amid air traffic controller shortages at Ronald Reagan National Airport.