Captain Rebecca Lobach is identified as third Black Hawk pilot who died in collision with American Airlines flight in DC

The U.S. Army has identified the 3rd aviator of the H-60 Black Hawk Helicopter that collided with an American Airline CRJ-700 rider pitchy connected Wednesday arsenic it was connected attack to onshore astatine Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sidesplitting 67 people.

Captain Rebecca M. Lobach, 28, from Durham, North Carolina was 1 of 3 soldiers aboard the chopper that crashed into the pitchy conscionable arsenic it was coming into land. 

The Army had initially refused to place Lobach astatine the petition of her household but the determination to merchandise her sanction came 'at the petition of and successful coordination with the family,' according to a connection released by the Army.

'We are devastated by the nonaccomplishment of our beloved Rebecca. She was a agleam prima successful each our lives,' her household said. 'Rebecca was a warrior and would not hesitate to support her state successful battle.'

Lobach had worked arsenic a White House adjutant during the Biden medication and had served arsenic an aviation serviceman successful the Army from July 2019 until January 2025. 

Her household went connected to picture her arsenic 'kind, generous, brilliant, funny, ambitious and strong.' 

Lobach had been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

No 1 survived the collision. The remains of 42 radical had been pulled from the stream by Saturday afternoon, including 38 that had been positively identified, according to Washington exigency officials.

They expect to retrieve each of the remains, though the wreckage of the plane's fuselage volition astir apt person to beryllium pulled from the h2o to get each the bodies, officials said.

On Friday nighttime the chopper 'was concisely stabilized with a crane to assistance successful betterment efforts, however, it has not been removed from the water,' the Washington Fire and EMS Department said successful the Saturday statement.

The collision occurred arsenic an American Airlines formation from Wichita, Kansas carrying 64 passengers was preparing to onshore conscionable crossed the Potomac from the nation's capital, and deed an Army Black Hawk chopper that flew into the jet's path. 

Army officials person said the chopper unit was highly experienced, and acquainted with the congested skies astir the city. 

Military craft often marque specified flights to signifier routes they would usage if cardinal authorities officials request to beryllium evacuated during an onslaught oregon large catastrophe.