Did night vision goggles play a role in DC plane crash?

(NewsNation) — Investigators are looking astatine the factors that contributed to Wednesday's tragic level crash successful Washington, D.C., and they whitethorn see whether nighttime imaginativeness goggles played a role.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that a "fairly experienced" unit was conducting an "annual proficiency grooming flight" successful the subject chopper erstwhile it collided with the civilian airplane. The chopper operators were wearing nighttime imaginativeness goggles.

U.S. Rep Mark Green, R-Tenn., a erstwhile formation surgeon for the U.S. Army's Night Stalkers, told NewsNation that flying successful an municipality situation with nighttime imaginativeness presents challenges but moving lights, similar those connected a plane, should person been detectable.

"If the [night imaginativeness goggles] are on, you should spot those lights," helium told NewsNation's Leland Vittert connected Thursday.

Instead, the bigger contented whitethorn person been "target fixation," meaning the chopper unit was focused connected thing else, similar different plane.

"I've investigated crashes earlier wherever people fixation was the issue," Green said. "They get their eyes locked connected 1 different happening and they miss the happening successful their periphery."

Green besides pointed retired that the chopper lone had 1 unit chief, which whitethorn person made it harder to spot hazards.

"The craft that I flew successful had two, 1 connected each side, and those unit chiefs are virtually extracurricular the aircraft, particularly successful a concern wherever they're this low," helium said.

Watch the afloat interrogation with Green successful the video subordinate above.