THE third soldier on board the doomed Black Hawk military helicopter which crashed into an American Airlines plane has been named.
Female co-pilot Rebecca Lobach, 28, tragically died in the midair collision alongside 66 others including two fellow soldiers and 64 passengers and crew on the jet.
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Her identity was revealed by the US Army as they praised her loyalty and achievements for her country.
Captain Lobach was an aviation officer in the Army between July 2019 up until her death on Wednesday.
During her almost six years of service, she had been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon
Her family said she had over 450 hours of flight time and earned certification as a pilot-in-command after thorough testing within her battalion.
Lobach also worked as a White House aide under the Biden administration in the years prior to the tragic crash.
One of her heartbroken friends said just last month Lobach escorted Ralph Lauren through the White House as he accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
A heartfelt statement from her family was issued through the US Army, it 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.”
The Army initially refused to name Lobach due to a family request.
She was identified on Saturday at “the request of and in coordination with the family”, according to a statement.
Lobach’s friends described her to CBS 17 News as “golden” and said she was a bright light, a capable pilot, and always a good friend.
She was from Durham, North Carolina and had a degree in biology from the University of North Carolina, said her pals.
The other two soldiers on the Black Hawk when it plunged into the icy river were identified earlier this week as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, and Staff Sergeant Ryan O’Hara, 28.
O’Hara was reportedly a new dad to a one-year-old son.
The body of one of the men and a woman, believed to be Lobach, have been recovered from the Potomac River so far, a law enforcement source close with the recovery efforts told CBS News.
Officials say the military aircraft was flying in the middle of an American Airline’s descent path over Washington DC.
All 60 passengers on the plane, including four crew members, died after it erupted into a fireball and shattered into three pieces due to the chilling impact.
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Both aircraft plunged into the river as emergency operations were launched.
Hopes for survivors quickly faded as rescue crews worked through the night in dark, cold conditions.
After just a few hours the mission changed from a rescue to a recover operation with all passengers feared dead.
Officials confirmed there are no survivors – marking it the deadliest US air crash since November 2001.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted the crash was “absolutely” preventable as investigations were quickly launched into the cause of the disaster.
Black boxes that could hold crucial clues have been dredged up from the plane wreckage in the Potomac River.
Officials say a preliminary report is expected to be issued within 30 days as divers continue to recover pivotal debris.
VICTIMS REMEMBERED
As the nation grieves, heartbreaking details about the lives of the other victims have started to emerge.
A newly-engaged pilot, a group of friends on a hunting trip, and teenage figure skaters were all aboard the American Airlines plane.
One victim, 30-year-old Kiah Duggins, was a former Miss Kansas contestant and Harvard Law graduate who previously worked as an intern for Michelle Obama.
She had become a celebrated civil rights attorney who friends say “worked diligently and selflessly for others and was dedicated to justice.”
Pal Marcus Rucker told The U.S. Sun: “She had a personality as radiant as her smile was. She was incredibly kind and comes from a great family as well. It’s a tragic loss for them and Wichita as a whole.”
Washington DC plane crash victims
A mid-air collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter has left 67 dead. The victims include:
- Captain Jonathan Campos, 34
- First Officer Samuel Lilley, 29
- Flight attendant Ian Epstein
- Flight attendant Danashia Brown Elder
- Spencer Lane, 16
- Christine Lane, 49
- Jinna Han, 13
- Jin Han
- Evgenia Shishkova, 52
- Vadim Naumov, 55
- Alexandr Kirsanov
- Angela Yang
- Sean Kay
- Peter Livingston
- Donna Smojice Livingston
- Everly Livingston, 14
- Alydia Livingston, 11
- Inna Volyanskaya
- Asra Hussain Raza, 26
- Michael Stovall, 40
- Jesse Pitcher, 30
- Elizabeth Anne Keys, 33
- Wendy Jo Shaffer
- Kiah Duggins
- Olivia Ter, 12
- Pergentino Malabed Jr
Black Hawk soldiers
- Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, 39
- Staff Sergeant Ryan O’Hara, 28
- Captain Rebecca Lobach, 28
Friend Rylan Michele added: “Kiah had the ability to make everyone feel at home the moment she entered a room.
“She had already built such a powerful legacy and had no intentions of slowing down.”
At least 14 passengers on the flight from Kansas to the US capital were members of the ice skating community returning from the US National Championship.
The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe confirmed that skaters Jinna Han, 13, and Spencer Lane, 16, and both of their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, were among those killed.
Lane posted a final picture on Instagram showing his view from the plane in the hours before the crash.
A pair of world champion coaches were also on board in 1994 winners Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Alexandr Kirsanov, a coach for youth ice skaters on board, was also aboard the deadly flight.
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Asra Hussain, a 26-year-old woman sent a final harrowing text to her husband on the day of the crash.
She said “we are landing in 20 minutes”, just before 8pm on Wednesday.
Michael Stovall, 40, was on the plane with six of his closest friends after they traveled to Kansas for a hunting trip, The New York Times reported.
One of those friends was Jesse Pitcher – a 30-year-old owner of a plumbing business who had just gotten married.
A mom and her daughters were also killed in Wednesday night’s crash, according to NBC affiliate WJAC-TV.
Donna Smojice Livingston, her husband Peter, and her two daughters, 14-year-old Everly and 11-year-old Alydia were named as victims.
FLIGHT CREW
The pilot of the American Airlines flight was identified as Jonathan Campos, 34, who was based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
His first officer was Samuel Lilley, 29, who was just months away from being promoted to captain.
Lilley also recently got engaged, his sister told ABC News.
“I was so proud when Sam became a pilot. Now it hurts so bad I can’t even cry myself to sleep,” his dad wrote in a devastating tribute on Facebook.
“I know I’ll see him again, but my heart is breaking. He was doing great in his career and his personal life. He was engaged to get married in the fall.”
Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder have also been named as flight attendants on the American Airlines plane.
Epstein’s wife confirmed his death in a statement on Facebook, while Elder’s friends remembered her on social media as a “beautiful soul.”
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