Third soldier inside Black Hawk helicopter involved in DC midair collision identified

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The Army has identified the third soldier aboard the Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport after it had been initially withheld. 

Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, served as an aviation officer in the Army since July 2019 and had around 500 hours of flying time in the Black Hawk, the Army said in a release. 

Lobach’s family had initially asked for her identity to be withheld because of unsubstantiated accusations that DEI was a factor in the crash. 

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The crew chief and Lobach’s other fellow pilot aboard the Black Hawk were identified Thursday as Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves. 

Their helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet landing at Reagan from Wichita, Kansas, Wednesday evening while the soldiers were on a training mission, killing all 64 aboard the plane and the three in the helicopter. 

The cause is under investigation.  

Lobach was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Her awards included the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon, according to the Army. 

“Our deepest condolences go out to her family, and all the families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones impacted by this devastating accident. We continue to work with the families of our fallen Soldiers and support the ongoing investigations,” the Army added. 

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The Army shared a statement from Lobach’s family saying it is “devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives. She was kind, generous, brilliant, funny, ambitious and strong. No one dreamed bigger or worked harder to achieve her goals.” 

Lobach was also a White House military social aide in the Biden administration, CBS News reported, citing a friend of hers. 

The wife of Eaves, the instructor pilot-in-charge from Mississippi, confirmed his death on social media last week. 

“I am sure by now all of you have heard the news of the tragedy that has occurred in DC,” she wrote on Facebook. “My husband was one of the pilots in the Blackhawk. We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve.”

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said the state was mourning the loss of Eaves.

“Mississippi is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was killed in last night’s accident at Reagan National Airport,” Reeves wrote on X. “Elee and I are praying for the victims’ families and first responders who are assisting.”

O’Hara was memorialized by his high school JROTC program. 

“Ryan is fondly remembered as a guy who would fix things around the ROTC gym as well as a vital member of the Rifle Team. Ryan leaves behind a wife and 1-year-old son,” the Parkview High School JROTC in Georgia wrote on Facebook. 

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Eaves, the instructor pilot in charge who was flying the helicopter, had 1,000 flying hours, which is considered “very experienced,” Fox News has learned. Most flights are on average two hours in length.

Both the instructor pilot in charge and Lobach, the co-pilot, were being evaluated during the flight and were familiar with the area and route, Fox News was told.

Military and other government helicopters fly this route almost daily, according to a senior Army pilot and warrant officer.