The U.S. Army has identified Captain Rebecca Lobach, 28, as the third soldier aboard the Black Hawk helicopter involved in a deadly crash with a passenger plane in Washington, D.C.
The crash occurred on January 30, 2025, near the Potomac River, resulting in the loss of all three soldiers aboard.
Lobach, originally from Durham, North Carolina, had been serving as a pilot with the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, since 2019.
The Army initially withheld her name at the family’s request, but it was later released in coordination with her family. “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. “Rebecca was a warrior and would not hesitate to defend her country in battle.”
Lobach, who had a distinguished career in both the military and as a White House social aide, had recently escorted fashion designer Ralph Lauren during his visit to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Joe Biden.
She graduated in 2019 with a degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was also a distinguished military graduate and a standout athlete.
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Friends and colleagues have expressed deep sorrow following Lobach’s death. 1st Lt. Samantha Brown described her as “so proud” of her promotion to captain and said that Lobach was passionate about her work, a voracious reader, and an exceptional athlete.
“She was just so jazzed when she received the title of captain,” Brown recalled.
Lobach was also a certified victim advocate for the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program.
Along with Lobach, the two other soldiers on the helicopter were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28.
As the investigation continues, aviation experts suspect the Black Hawk did not see the American Airlines plane before the crash, which has raised concerns about the safety and coordination of military and civilian air traffic.
