Tipsheet

Army Releases Name of the Female Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot in Reagan Air Disaster

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  February 01, 2025 6:30 PM

This decision by the US Army to withhold the name of the third member of the Black Hawk helicopter crew involved in the Reagan air disaster was never going to last. It’s the worst aviation accident in years. All 67 individuals involved perished—and the Army's initial refusal to release the name led to conspiracy theories and incidents of misidentification. 

There’s a balance between privacy and transparency—I get it. The family needed time to mourn, but the Army refusing to release the female pilot’s name was never a sustainable position. They finally caved and released her name tonight: Capt. Rebecca Lobach (via NY Post): 

The U.S. Army has identified the female soldier in the doomed Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines flight this week, killing 67 people. 

Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and has served since July 2019, the Army said in a statement. 

The Army had initially refused to identify Lobach at the request of her family. 

The decision to release her name came “at the request of and in coordination with the family,” according to the statement. 

“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives,” her family said in a statement released by the Army. 

“Rebecca was a warrior and would not hesitate to defend her country in battle … Rebecca was many things. She was a daughter, sister, partner, and friend. She was a servant, a caregiver, an advocate. 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.” 

Lobach was a decorated service member, whose accolades include the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. According to her family, she graduated within the top 20% of ROTC cadets nationwide. 

Lobach also served as a White House social aide during the Biden administration. Last month, she escorted Ralph Lauren through the White House when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to CBS. 

Lobach, along with Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed mid-air with an American Airlines flight from Kansas coming in on approach at Reagan on January 29 around 9 PM.  

The crash rehashed the concerns around Reagan National, specifically the air congestion and low-altitude helicopter flights. Helicopters and commercial airlines fly routes where the chances of crashes are high. There are numerous close calls at the airport. Following this crash, low-altitude helicopter flights around DCA have been indefinitely suspended. 

 This crew likely focused on the wrong airplane during their flight. The chopper also might have been on the wrong flight path. 

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