MiTasol
1st Lieutenant
Around 8:47 p.m., air traffic control asked the helicopter crew members if they had the jet in sight and told the helicopter to pass behind it. The two aircraft were a little more than a mile apart at this point.
The helicopter crew member responded two seconds later, "The aircraft is in sight."
At 8:48 p.m., the two aircraft collided and crashed into the Potomac River.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the helicopter was conducting "a required annual night evaluation" flight and was being flown by "a fairly experienced crew" operating with night-vision goggles.
Given that the Australian Defense force have had multiple incidents where what crew using night vision goggle saw and what was really out there it is possible, but not definite, that was a factor in this accident.