Third Black Hawk crew member identified as family share heartbreaking statement following devastating crash
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.
Advert
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.
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."
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 [email protected].
Topics: US News, American Airlines
Poppy Bilderbeck