Transgender pilot denies claims she was flying doomed Black Hawk chopper

Jo Ellis, a transgender Black Hawk pilot, was forced to stock a “proof of life” video connected Friday successful effect to rumors that she was helming the subject chopper progressive successful a mid-air collision with an American Airlines jet, which near nary survivors.

In total, 67 radical were killed successful the clang Wednesday night, including much than a twelve fig skaters, who were among 60 passengers and 4 crewmembers aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kan. to Reagan National Airport, officials said.

The Bombardier CRJ700 airplane was gearing up to onshore erstwhile a Black Hawk chopper flew straight into its way of question astir 9 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

In aftermath of the crash, Ellis was wrongfully identified by societal media users arsenic 1 of the 3 soldiers aboard the ill-fated subject aircraft. Those rumors person continued to summation traction successful the days since, prompting Ellis to beryllium she is inactive alive.

“Interesting morning,” Ellis says successful the video, going connected to present herself arsenic a Black Hawk aviator with the Virginia Army National Guard.

“I recognize immoderate radical person associated maine with the clang successful D.C. and that is false,” she continues. “It is insulting to the families to effort to necktie this to immoderate benignant of governmental agenda. They don’t merit that. I don’t merit this. And I anticipation you each cognize that I americium live and good and this should beryllium capable for you each to extremity each the rumors.”

Ellis wrapped her video by providing a connection from the Department of Defense, liable for handling casualty notifications, confirming that nary members of the Virginia Army unit were progressive successful the collision earlier this week.

Though it’s unclear wherever precisely the rumors began, a station connected X from FakeGayPolitics appeared to beryllium 1 of the archetypal to notation Ellis by name.

“The pilot of the Black Hawk has been identified arsenic Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) Jo Ellis, a transgender woman,” the station reads. “Jo Ellis served successful the Virginia National Guard for 15 years and transitioned portion serving arsenic a pilot. Jo has been making radicalized anti-Trump statements connected socials.”

In this representation provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, wreckage is seen successful the Potomac River adjacent Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 successful Washington. (Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles, U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

Many of the responses referenced a idiosyncratic effort Ellis wrote astir her acquisition arsenic a servicemember successful the time earlier the crash.

“The transgender Black Hawk chopper aviator for the subject wrote a agelong missive astir ‘Gender Dysphoria’ and slump 1 time earlier the fatal clang this whitethorn person been another trans panic attack,” 1 X idiosyncratic wrote, speculating the incidental was a “suicide mission.”

Another wrote: “So it turns retired the aviator of the Black Hawk chopper that crashed into the American Airlines formation sidesplitting everybody onboard was a transgender pilot, Josiah Ellis, oregon Jo Ellis was the aviator of the Black Hawk. He tried to instrumentality retired 3 different rider planes earlier the crash.”

In this representation provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, wreckage is seen successful the Potomac River adjacent Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 successful Washington. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Taylor Bacon, U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

The speculation comes aft President Trump blamed the clang connected DEI practices aimed astatine helping and projecting marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community, successful the workplace. He besides took purpose astatine policies from erstwhile administrations, though the origin of the collision has not been confirmed.

So far, two of the 3 soldiers aboard the ill-fated Black Hawk person been identified arsenic Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, from the 12th Aviation Battalion astatine Fort Belvoir, Va.