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Third soldier on board doomed Black Hawk chopper revealed as former White House aide, 28, as DC crash victims remembered
Investigations into the fatal midair crash are ongoing
THE third soldier on board the doomed Black Hawk military helicopter which crashed into an American Airlines plane has been named.
Female co-pilot Rebecca Lobach, 28, tragically died in the midair collision alongside 66 others including two fellow soldiers and 64 passengers and crew on the jet.
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Her identity was revealed by the US Army as they praised her loyalty and achievements for her country.
Captain Lobach was an aviation officer in the Army between July 2019 up until her death on Wednesday.
During her almost six years of service, she had been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon
Lobach also worked as a White House aide under the Biden administration in the years prior to the tragic crash.
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One of her heartbroken friends said just last month Lobach escorted Ralph Lauren through the White House as he accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
A heartfelt statement from her family was issued through the US Army, it read: “We are 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."
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Her friends described her to CBS 17 News as “golden” and said she was a bright light, a capable pilot, and always a good friend.
Lobach was from Durham, North Carolina and had a degree in biology from the University of North Carolina, said her pals.
The other two soldiers on the Black Hawk when it plunged into the icy river were identified earlier this week as Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, 39, and Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O'Hara, 28.
The body of one of the men and a woman, believed to be Lobach, have been recovered from the Potomac River so far, a law enforcement source close with the recovery efforts told CBS News.
Officials say the military aircraft was flying in the middle of an American Airline's descent path over Washington DC.
All 60 passengers on the plane, including four crew members, died after it erupted into a fireball and shattered into three pieces due to the chilling impact.
Both aircraft plunged into the river as emergency operations were launched.
Hopes for survivors quickly faded as rescue crews worked through the night in dark, cold conditions.
After just a few hours the mission changed from a rescue to a recover operation with all passengers feared dead.
Officials confirmed there are no survivors - marking it the deadliest US air crash since November 2001.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted the crash was "absolutely" preventable as investigations were quickly launched into the cause of the disaster.
Black boxes that could hold crucial clues have been dredged up from the plane wreckage in the Potomac River.
Officials say a preliminary report is expected to be issued within 30 days as divers continue to recover pivotal debris.
But as the nation grieves, frustrated families of the victims are demanding answers over how what should have been a routine flight to Ronald Reagan Airport ended in disaster.
It later emerged at least two other pilots reported near-misses with helicopters while landing at the airport in the last three years.
A passenger flight even had to abort a landing at the airport just a day before the tragedy.
Republic Airways Flight 4514 was forced to back out of touching down and had to make a second approach after a helicopter appeared near its flight path, the reported.
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Duffy yesterday said he agreed with Donald Trump that the crash "looks like it should have been prevented".
He insisted, however, there was “not a breakdown” in communication between the helicopter’s pilots and the American Airlines flight.
Washington DC plane crash victims
A mid-air collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter has left 67 dead. The victims include:
- Captain Jonathan Campos, 34
- First Officer Samuel Lilley, 29
- Flight attendant Ian Epstein
- Flight attendant Danashia Brown Elder
- Spencer Lane, 16
- Christine Lane, 49
- Jinna Han, 13
- Jin Han
- Evgenia Shishkova, 52
- Vadim Naumov, 55
- Alexandr Kirsanov
- Angela Yang
- Sean Kay
- Peter Livingston
- Donna Smojice Livingston
- Everly Livingston, 14
- Alydia Livingston, 11
- Inna Volyanskaya
- Asra Hussain Raza, 26
- Michael Stovall, 40
- Jesse Pitcher, 30
- Elizabeth Anne Keys, 33
- Wendy Jo Shaffer
- Kiah Duggins
- Black Hawk crew chief Ryan O'Hara
- Black Hawk soldier Andrew Eaves
- Olivia Ter, 12
- Pergentino Malabed Jr
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