The US Army has released the name of the third soldier who passed away in the American Airlines crash with the military Black Hawk helicopter.
On Wednesday (January 29) at 8:47pm ET, an American Airlines passenger plane – flight 5342 – and a United States military helicopter collided mid-air over the Potomac River, close to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
All 60 passengers, four crew members and three soldiers onboard the two aircraft are believed dead and the final soldier onboard the US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter has since been named despite the Army initially withholding the information.
Taking to its website on January 31, the US Army confirmed there were three people onboard the helicopter at the time of the crash, naming two of them as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara and the other as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves.
The Army stated it would ‘not be releas[ing]’ the name of the third soldier ‘at this time’ ‘at the request of the family’.
However, it has since shared an update, ‘at the request and in coordination with the family,’ releasing the name of the third soldier who passed away while performing the training mission as Captain Rebecca M Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina.
“[Lobach] served as an aviation officer (15A) in the regular Army from July 2019 to January 2025. She has no deployments. She was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, Ft Belvoir, Va. Her awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon,” the Army said. “Our deepest condolences go out to her family, and all the families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones impacted by this devastating accident. We continue to work with the families of our fallen Soldiers and support the ongoing investigations.”
It also shared a statement on behalf of her family.
Rebecca Lobach has been named as the third soldier who passed away in the crash (US Army)
The Lobach family’s statement 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.”
It explained that Lobach started her career in the Army as ‘a distinguished military graduate in ROTC at the University of North Carolina, and was in the top 20 percent of cadets nationwide’ going on to achieve the rank of Captain, serving twice as ‘Platoon Leader and as a Company Executive Officer in the 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia’.
The statement praised the soldier as a ‘warrior’ who ‘would not hesitate to defend her country in battle,’ for being ‘as graceful as she was fierce’ and caring about people, whether it be ‘volunteering to support the President and First Lady in hosting countless White House events’ or being a ‘certified Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Victim Advocate’.
‘A daughter, sister, partner and friend, servant, caregiver [and] advocate’, the statement resolved: “Most of all, she loved and was loved. Her life was short, but she made a difference in the lives of all who knew her. Our hearts break for the other families who have lost loved ones in this national tragedy and we mourn with them. We request that you please respect our privacy as we grieve this devastating loss.”
All people onboard both aircraft are believed dead (Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/ U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and United States Army all involved.
The US Army stated: “The NTSB will lead the investigation. We are working with local officials and will provide any additional information once it becomes available.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email info@grievewell.com.
Authorities are searching for answers following the devastating American Airlines plane crash this week and the black boxes will be the key, experts say.
On Wednesday the US was stunned when news broke that an American Airlines passenger plane had crashed into US military helicopter in Washington.
Flight 5342 was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport when it crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter just before 9.00pm on January 29.
A search team was immediately dispatched as both aircrafts plummeted into the Potomac River beneath.
However, authorities later confirmed that they believed all 67 people involved in the crash have died. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the passenger plane with three people in the helicopter.
The rescue mission for survivors then shifted into a recovery mission.
Authorities are attempting to identify everyone who was on the flight (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Away from the scene of the crash, authorities have been attempting to identify all involved and understand what went wrong for the crash to occur.
Two black boxes from the passenger jet and a device from the helicopter have been recovered, and aviation experts have said the black box within the helicopter may be the key to unraveling the disaster.
Senior Army aviation adviser Jonathan Koziol is helping with the federal investigation into the crash and highlighted the importance of the black boxes.
He said: “There’s a lot of experts out there, but until we get the data from the black boxes, that’s the only truth, and we won’t know that for a little bit.”
Authorities have also cautioned against wild speculation regarding the incident.
A full investigation will take months to conduct as the plane’s black boxes and flight data will need to be analyzed, as well as interviewing Air Traffic Control employees.
Rescuers are believed to still be attempting to retrieve bodies from the river but difficult conditions are making the job harder, according to John Donnely, Washington Fire and EMS chief.
Aviation experts have highlighted the importance of the crash black boxes(Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Speaking about the difficulties, he said: “The challenges are access. The water that we’re operating in is about 8ft deep.
“There is wind, there is pieces of ice out there. So it’s just dangerous and hard to work in.
“And because there’s not a lot of lights, you’re out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody.
“Divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in.”
The uncle of American Airlines pilot Jonathan Campos has opened up about their last phone conversation as he was ‘boarding the plane’.
On Wednesday (January 29) at 8.47pm ET, an American Airlines passenger plane – flight 5342 – and a US military helicopter collided mid-air over the Potomac River, close to the Ronald Reagan National airport in Washington DC.
The passenger plane was carrying 64 passengers and crew and had traveled from Wichita, Kansas, while the army helicopter – a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk carrying three crew – had taken off from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Prior to the crash, pilot of the American Airlines plane Jonathan Campos had a phone conversation with his uncle.
In an interview with the MailOnline, Campos’ uncle John Lane explained he spoke to his nephew ‘for 10 minutes’ as he was boarding the plane and he ‘sounded really happy’.
The American Airlines plane and helicopter wreckage ended up in the Potomac River (Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/ U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)
He said: “I can’t believe it. He sounded really happy. He was looking forward to going on a cruise next week on the Icon of the Seas, the cruise ship.
“Ten family members were going to fly to Florida to take the trip with him. It was going to be a big celebration.”
Lane reflected on how it was always Campos’ ‘dream’ to become a pilot and he used to play with ‘toy planes’ as a child.
Having been to flight school six years ago and doing ‘so well with his life’, his ambition was eventually to ‘qualify to fly bigger planes’.
Campos’ uncle noted the rest of the family feel ‘sick right now’ but resolved how ‘proud of him’ they are of him and what a ‘good kid’ he was.
American Airlines issued a statement on the incident which reads: “American Eagle Flight 5342 en-route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700.
Jonathan Campos and his uncle spoke as he was boarding the flight (Facebook)
“There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft. Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.
“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.”
A man who witnessed the horror American Airlines crash has described seeing a ‘white flare’ as the passenger plane collided with the helicopter.
Shockwaves were sent across the world overnight as a PSA Airlines aircraft, which is owned by American Airlines, crashed into a BlackHawk helicopter in Washington D.C.
The commercial aircraft was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while the US Army helicopter had three military personnel on board, according to reports.
The incident occurred while Flight 5342 was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, with both aircrafts crashing into the Potomac River.
19 bodies have been recovered from the river at the time of writing.
“American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700,” American Airlines said in a statement provided to UNILAD.
“There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft.
19 bodies have been recovered from the crash site (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.
“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.”
Jimmy Mazeo was sat eating dinner with his girlfriend at a nearby park when he saw ‘white flares’ in the sky. But he did not notice the seriousness of what had just happened until the emergency services arrived at the scene.
“We didn’t really think much of it until we saw the fire trucks started going out to the tarmac and the police cars and boats. It was insane,” he told WUSA9.
Jimmy witnessed the crash (WUSA9)
Initially, Mazeo thought what he saw ‘were shooting stars’ – but he quickly came to the realization as to what had happened.
“I’m really in awe. Of course it’s terrible what happened tonight, but I think that it’s crazy we got to see what happened. I’m praying for all the people involved in this.”
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the ‘terrible accident’.
“May God Bless their souls,” he said in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders.”
Speaking further on his TruthSocial account, Trump added: “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
President Donald Trump has issued a statement following the horrific American Airlines crash that happened in Washington D.C overnight.
At around 9pm in Washington D.C on Wednesday (29 January), a PSA Airlines aircraft owned by American Airlines crashed into a BlackHawk US Army military helicopter.
The commercial aircraft was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while three personnel were on board the helicopter.
A PSA Airlines aircraft crashed with a US Army helicopter in Washington D.C last night, causing dozens of fatalities (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Flight 5342 was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport as the incident happened, with both crashing into the Potomac River.
19 bodies have been recovered at the time of writing, and the search efforts have continued throughout the night.
President Trump is, as you’d expect, being kept in the loop regarding the current situation and has written on his TruthSocial account overnight.
The 47th president claims the crash ‘should have been prevented’.
In an initial post, Trump said: “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time.
“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.
Donald Trump has issued a statement regarding the crash (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
And in a follow-up post, the president wrote: “What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!”
America is reeling from the recent events, with Jimmy Mazeo witnessing the horror crash first hand.
“We didn’t really think much of it until we saw the fire trucks started going out to the tarmac and the police cars and boats. It was insane,” he told WUSA9.
“I’m really in awe. Of course it’s terrible what happened tonight, but I think that it’s crazy we got to see what happened. I’m praying for all the people involved in this.”
