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The US Army has released the name of the third soldier who died in a jet-helicopter collision on Wednesday near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Captain Rebecca M. Lobach, 26, of Durham, North Carolina, was one of three Army personnel killed when their helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet.
Lobach, an Army aviation officer, joined the military in July 2019 and quickly earned a distinguished reputation. Her awards included an Army Commendation Medal and an Army Achievement Medal. She had amassed over 450 flight hours and was certified as a pilot-in-command after rigorous testing by senior pilots in her battalion.
In a statement released by her family, they shared their pride in her accomplishments and her dedication to serving her country. Lobach was also recognized as a distinguished military graduate in the University of North Carolina’s ROTC program, where she ranked in the top 20% of cadets nationwide. Her family noted her aspiration to become a physician after her service.
“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,” the statement said, adding, “we request that you please respect our privacy as we grieve this devastating loss.”
The names of the two other soldiers who died in the crash were released by the Army on Friday. They are Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, who was the crew chief, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, who was a pilot.
There has been no specific explanation from the Army for the one-day delay in releasing her name. But while the investigation into the crash has only just begun, President Donald Trump has publicly blamed the helicopter for flying at too high an altitude. And he issued a lengthy critique about an FAA diversity hiring initiative – particularly regarding air traffic controllers – saying they eroded flight safety.
However, no evidence has emerged to suggest that the diversity initiative played any role in the collision.
Deadly Washington crash: What happened
Top US officials said the military chopper was on a regular training mission when it collided with a civilian passenger jet over the Potomac River on Wednesday night. The scenario its pilots were preparing for was anything but routine.
The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter’s unit, the 12th Aviation Battalion has a unique mission set — quickly evacuating top US officials to secure locations such as one in Pennsylvania in the event of a catastrophe or attack on the US government.
The American Airlines plane was trying to land when it collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, killing all 60 passengers and four crew members aboard.
The crash was the deadliest in the US since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, just after takeoff from Kennedy Airport. The crash killed all 260 people on board and five people on the ground.
