Army reveals why female Black Hawk pilot killed in DC crash won't be publicly identified
The Army has refused to name the female pilot killed aboard the military helicopter involved in a collision with a passenger jet.
The Army has refused to name the female pilot killed aboard the military helicopter involved in a collision with a passenger jet flying into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday, January 29. While the names of the two other soldiers in the chopper who died as a result of the tragedy were revealed, the Army said that the pilot’s family has requested that her identity not be made public.
‘The name of the third Soldier will not be released’
“Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, is believed to be deceased pending positive identification. The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, have not yet been recovered, therefore is duty status-whereabouts unknown (DUSTWUN),” the website says.
“At the request of the family, the name of the third Soldier will not be released at this time. That pilot is also DUSTWUN,” it adds.
The soldier who is not being identified was an experienced pilot with more than 500 of flying experience, the Telegraph reported, citing Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff of the army’s aviation directorate. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the crew of the UH-60 Black Hawk was “fairly experienced.”
Koziol dismissed allegations that DEI policies were responsible for the crash, something that even Donald Trump suggested. “Both pilots had flown this specific route before at night — this wasn’t something new to either one of them,” Koziol said.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, commander Joint Task Force – National Capital Region/ U.S. Army Military District of Washington, said following the tragedy, “Our deepest condolences go out to all the families and friends impacted during this tragedy, and we will support them through this difficult time. Our top priority is to assist in the recovery efforts, while fully cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and other investigative agencies to determine the cause of this tragic incident.”
