The soldiers on the helicopter that collided with an American Airlines jet on Wednesday night were from the 12th Combat Aviation Battalion based in Virginia.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the three service members on board a Black Hawk that crashed into a civilian airliner Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., were "fairly experienced."

Sixty passengers and four crew members from the plane and three Black Hawk helicopter personnel are feared dead as a recovery mission is underway.