Third soldier on board doomed Black Hawk chopper revealed as former White House aide, 28, as DC crash victims remembered
The name has been revealed for the third soldier aboard the deadly Black Hawk military chopper that collided with an American Airlines aircraft.
Along with 66 other people, including two other troops and 64 passengers and crew members on the aircraft, 28-year-old female co-pilot Rebecca Lobach tragically perished in the airborne accident.
Through the US Army, her family released an emotional statement that said, “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca.”
“She shone brightly throughout our lives. Her qualities included kindness, generosity, intelligence, humor, ambition, and strength.
“No one dreamed bigger or worked harder to achieve her goals.”
A Black Hawk helicopter flying in the center of the descending route collided with a crowded American Airlines aircraft.
When the Black Hawk crashed into the approaching jet, three soldiers—including a new father from Atlanta—were killed.
The plane burst into a blaze and broke into three pieces as a result of the chilling impact, killing all 60 passengers, including four crew members.
As emergency operations began, both planes then fell into the Potomac River.
Rescue workers labored during the night in frigid, gloomy conditions, but survivors’ hopes soon dwindled.
A few hours later, the effort shifted from a rescue to a recovery operation, and all of the passengers were thought to be dead.
It is the deadliest US plane crash since November 2001, according to officials, who confirmed there are no survivors.
As inquiries into the accident’s cause were promptly initiated, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that the collision was “absolutely” avoidable.
Dredged from the jet debris in the Potomac River are black boxes that may contain important clues.
As divers continue to gather crucial wreckage, officials believe a preliminary assessment should be released in 30 days.
However, as the country mourns, the victims’ irate relatives are clamoring for explanations as to how what ought to have been a regular trip to Ronald Reagan Airport went so wrong.
Later, it was revealed that throughout the previous three years, at least two additional pilots had reported close calls with helicopters during airport landings.
Just one day prior to the disaster, a passenger airplane even had to cancel its arrival at the airport.
A helicopter appeared close to Republic Airways Flight 4514’s flight path, forcing the airline to pull out of touching down and make a second approach, according to the Washington Post.
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Duffy stated Wednesday that he concurred with Donald Trump that the tragedy “seems to have been avoidable.”
Nonetheless, he maintained that there was no communication failure between the American Airlines flight and the helicopter’s pilots.
Washington DC plane crash victims
67 people were killed when American Airlines aircraft 5342 collided with a military chopper in midair. Among the victims are:
- 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