Army Identifies Helicopter Pilot Killed in Crash

The Army has identified the third crew member of a Black Hawk helicopter who died in the collision with a commercial jet in the skies over Washington last week as Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, 28, of Durham, N.C.

On Friday, the Army released the names of two male aviators who were killed in the crash, but in an extraordinary step, it did not identify Captain Lobach, who was the pilot of the helicopter, citing her family’s request for privacy.

The issue of Captain Lobach’s identity was particularly sensitive because President Trump has blamed diversity, without evidence, for the crash. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the disaster.

On Saturday, however, the Lobach family issued a statement through the Army that described her achievements and qualifications. Captain Lobach was an R.O.T.C. graduate from the University of North Carolina and joined the Army in January 2019. She twice served as a platoon leader and company executive officer in the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Va. With more than 450 flight hours, she was certified as a pilot in command.

Army officials said on Friday that Captain Lobach was undergoing her annual evaluation flight, with Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Lloyd Eaves serving as her evaluator. Officer Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md., and Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga., were also killed in the crash.