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Army Withholds Identity of Helicopter Pilot Killed in Crash
The Army on Friday released the names of two male aviators who were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet on Wednesday night. But in an extraordinary step, the Army did not identify the third crew member, a female pilot, citing her family’s request for privacy.
The names of service members killed during a peacetime accident or in combat zones are typically made public about 24 hours after their relatives have been notified.
“At the request of the family, the name of the third soldier will not be released at this time. That pilot is also DUSTWUN,” the Army said in a statement in a reference to “duty status-whereabouts unknown,” a temporary designation until her remains are recovered from the river where the aircraft went down.
It is unclear what specifically motivated the aviator’s family to make the request. But it comes as President Trump, before the completion of the investigation, has blamed the Black Hawk helicopter crew for the midair disaster that killed 67 people.
In a social media post on Friday morning, Mr. Trump wrote: “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”
Four people briefed on the matter told The New York Times on Thursday that the Army helicopter appeared to have been flying too high and outside its approved path when it collided with the passenger jet. The air traffic control tower had given the helicopter pilot permission to fly no higher than 200 feet, said the people, who were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly.
Responding to Mr. Trump’s comment, an Army official on Friday urged caution and patience until the investigation was sorted out.
The issue of the female aviator’s identity is particularly sensitive as Mr. Trump has also blamed diversity, without evidence, for the crash. In addition, Pete Hegseth, the newly confirmed defense secretary, has said that the military has diminished its standards by welcoming women and racial minorities into its ranks. He has echoed Mr. Trump’s comments on rooting out diversity programs in the government.
More than 10,000 women currently fill combat roles in the armed forces, from artillery and infantry positions to combat engineers and a few Green Berets and Army Rangers.
The omission of the female pilot’s identity — Mr. Hegseth has identified only her rank of captain — overshadowed an Army statement identifying the men who were killed.
The Army identified the two male aviators as Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md.; the helicopter’s co-pilot; and Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga., the Black Hawk crew chief.
Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md., was killed in the crash.Credit…U.S. Army, via Associated Press Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi posted a condolence message on X about Warrant Officer Eaves, who is originally from the state, saying he and his wife were “praying for the victims’ families and first responders who are assisting.”
Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, posted a similar message on X about Sergeant O’Hara.
Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga., the Black Hawk crew chief, was killed in the crash.Credit…U.S. Army, via Associated Press Mr. Hegseth said on Thursday that the Black Hawk helicopter was “doing a required annual night evaluation” flight and was being flown by “a fairly experienced crew.” Army officials said on Friday that the female pilot was undergoing her annual evaluation flight with Warrant Officer Eaves serving as her evaluator.
The UH-60 Black Hawk was flying a solo mission from Fort Belvoir, Va., and Mr. Hegseth said its unit, the 12th Aviation Battalion, would undergo “a 48-hour operational pause on contingency mission” to review the accident. The secretary said a senior-level Army aviation investigative team had arrived in Washington to help determine how the accident happened.
“We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the corridor and at the right altitude at the time of the incident,” Mr. Hegseth said in a recorded video statement from his desk at the Pentagon.
The Army has said that the helicopter crew members were among its best. “Our deepest condolences go out to all the families and friends impacted during this tragedy, and we will support them through this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, the Army’s top general in the D.C. regional district. “Our top priority is to assist in the recovery efforts,” while working with federal agencies in the investigation of the collision.
Warrant Officer Eaves, the Army said, served in the Navy for 10 years until September 2017, before moving on to become a Black Hawk UH-60 pilot for the Army.
Sergeant O’Hara has served as a Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter repairer in the Army since July 2014.
The recent tragic crash of an Army helicopter has left many people wondering about the identity of the pilot who lost their life in the accident. The Army has chosen to withhold the identity of the pilot at this time, citing privacy concerns and a desire to inform the pilot’s family before releasing any information to the public.While it is understandable that the Army wants to respect the privacy of the pilot and their family during this difficult time, many are eager to know more about the individual who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. The pilot’s bravery and dedication to their duty should be honored and remembered, and many are eager to pay their respects to this fallen hero.
As we wait for more information to be released, let us keep the pilot and their family in our thoughts and prayers. Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten, and their memory will live on in the hearts of all those who knew and loved them.
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Army withholds name of Black Hawk helicopter crew in D.C. crash, 2 others identified : NPR
The U.S. Army has identified two of the three service members who were killed Wednesday when their helicopter crashed into an American Airlines flight over the Potomac River. They were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md., pictured left, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga.
U.S. Army
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U.S. Army
The Army has identified two of the three soldiers killed in Wednesday’s crash outside a busy Washington, D.C. airport. The three-person crew was on board a Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines passenger jet carrying 64 people.
The soldiers identified are Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga. and Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md.
The third crew member on the helicopter was a female pilot with 500 hours of flying experience, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation. The Army is withholding the pilot’s name at the request of her family.
The withholding of a name in instances like this is a highly unusual move. The identity of the third crew member has already drawn intense scrutiny online.
Misinformation on social media falsely claims she was a transgender pilot from the Virginia National Guard named Jo Ellis. Ellis has posted a “proof of life” video on Facebook, denouncing the rumors and offering condolences to those killed in the crash.
Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth, herself a decorated former Black Hawk pilot, told NPR she understood why the family declined to make their loved-one’s name public.
“ We should be respecting the family’s wishes at a time when they have suffered an unbelievable loss,” Duckworth said. “I think it is a perfectly legitimate request the family would make. And I’m glad that the Army is honoring that request.”
Duckworth condemned the online speculation about the third member of the crew and especially President Trump’s musings that the Army crew was to blame or was affected by diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring.
“Every one of those troops that was in that aircraft earned their place there, and they are the most highly trained military aviators in the world,” Duckworth said. “And I am just sick to my stomach that we would have a president who would say such things about the heroic men and women who serve every single day.”
Despite President Trump saying the pilots of the Army helicopter bore responsibility for the crash, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the crew was “fairly experienced” and carrying out a “required annual night evaluation, they did have night vision goggles.”
Questions about the helicopter’s path and mission
Recovery teams search the wreckage after the crash of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Al Drago/Getty Images
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Al Drago/Getty Images
There remain, however, many unanswered questions about the flight pattern of the Black Hawk helicopter and the exact nature of the training exercise it was on at the time of the crash.
“Initial indications suggest this may have been a checkride, or periodic evaluation by an experienced instructor pilot of a less experienced pilot,” said Brad Bowman, a military analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former Black Hawk pilot.
“A checkride, as opposed to a normal training flight, creates some unique dynamics in the cockpit. In a checkride, the less experienced pilot can be nervous and eager to not make mistakes, while the instructor pilot is watching to see how the other pilot responds to different developments,” Bowman explained. “Sometimes an instructor pilot will test the less experienced aviator to see how they respond, but such a technique would have been unusual and inadvisable in that location given the reduced margin for error.”
Defense officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that the instructor pilot, now believed to be Chief Warrant Officer Eaves, had 1,000 hours of flight time, which is considered experienced. The co-pilot, whose name is being withheld, had 500 hours, which is considered normal.
Officials also tell NPR that the Black Hawk was supposed to be flying at a maximum of 200 feet, though sources say it was flying at least 100 feet higher. All requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the investigation.
On Thursday the National Transportation Safety Board says it recovered what are commonly called “black boxes” from the plane — the cockpit voice and flight data recorders. Federal safety investigators believe the Black Hawk helicopter also had its own recording devices, which they hope will help provide more clues on the cause of the crash.
The recent crash of a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington D.C. has left many questions unanswered, including the names of the crew members involved. The Army has chosen to withhold the identities of the individuals involved in the crash, citing privacy reasons.However, two other individuals who were on board the helicopter have been identified. The Army has confirmed that both individuals are safe and in stable condition.
The crash has raised concerns about the safety of military aircraft and the training of helicopter pilots. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and the Army is working to determine what went wrong.
As we await more information about the crash and the crew members involved, our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident.
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army, black hawk helicopter, Washington D.C., crash, military, crew, identification, investigation, National Public Radio, news
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