U.S. Army Identifies Black Hawk Pilot in Deadly Collision with Jet
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| This image provided by the U.S. Army shows Cpt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham |
| The U.S. Army has identified Captain Rebecca M. Lobach, 26, of Durham, North Carolina, as the third soldier killed in a tragic helicopter collision near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. The crash, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet, resulting in the deaths of all three Army personnel on board. Lobach, an Army aviation officer, joined the military in July 2019 and quickly distinguished herself. She logged over 450 flight hours and was certified as a pilot-in-command after rigorous testing by senior battalion pilots. Her achievements earned her several honors, including an Army Commendation Medal and an Army Achievement Medal. A distinguished military graduate from the University of North Carolina’s ROTC program, she ranked in the top 20% of cadets nationwide. Her family revealed she had aspirations of becoming a physician after completing her service. “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca,” her family shared in a statement. “She was kind, brilliant, ambitious, and strong. No one dreamed bigger or worked harder to achieve her goals. We ask for privacy as we grieve this unimaginable loss.” The Army previously identified the other two soldiers killed in the crash: Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, the crew chief, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, a pilot. No reason was given for the one-day delay in releasing Lobach’s name. While the investigation into the crash is ongoing, former President Donald Trump publicly blamed the helicopter’s altitude and criticized an FAA diversity hiring initiative, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. However, no evidence has linked the initiative to the collision. Deadliest U.S. Air Disaster in Decades The fatal crash unfolded as the Black Hawk, assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, conducted a routine training mission. This unit has a critical role in quickly evacuating top U.S. officials to secure locations in the event of a national emergency. The American Airlines jet was attempting to land when it struck the military helicopter over the Potomac River, killing all 60 passengers and four crew members aboard. The crash marks the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. since November 12, 2001, when an aircraft crashed into a Queens neighborhood shortly after takeoff from Kennedy Airport, killing 265 people. Investigators are now working to determine the exact cause of the mid-air collision and whether any procedural or technical failures contributed to the disaster. |
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