The crew chief and one of the pilots of the doomed Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines passenger jet over Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday were identified.
The wife of Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves, of Mississippi, confirmed his death on social media.
“I am sure by now all of you have heard the news of the tragedy that has occurred in DC,” she wrote on Facebook. “My husband was one of the pilots in the Blackhawk. We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve.”
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said the state was mourning the loss of Eaves.
“Mississippi is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was killed in last night’s accident at Reagan National Airport,” Reeves wrote on X. “Elee and I are praying for the victims’ families and first responders who are assisting.”
AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION
Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves, of Mississippi, was identified as one of the pilots of the doomed Army Black Hawk. (U.S. Armed Forces)
The crew chief on the helicopter was identified as Ryan O’Hara.
“Ryan is fondly remembered as a guy who would fix things around the ROTC gym as well as a vital member of the Rifle Team. Ryan leaves behind a wife and 1-year-old son,” the Parkview High School JROTC in Georgia wrote on Facebook.
O’Hara was one of three soldiers on the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk at the time of the disaster.
The instructor pilot in charge who was flying the helicopter had 1,000 flying hours – which is considered “very experienced,” Fox News has learned. Most flights are on average two hours in length.
AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION
Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning on Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)
The co-pilot had 500 flying hours, which is considered a “normal” amount of experience. Fox News is told the co-pilot was a woman. Both the instructor pilot in charge and the co-pilot were being evaluated during the flight, and were familiar with the area and route, Fox News is told.
Military and other government helicopters fly this route almost daily, according to a senior Army pilot and warrant officer.
According to a senior U.S. defense official, one set of remains from the soldiers on the Black Hawk were recovered Thursday afternoon.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the American people following the deadly collision, saying the crash happened while the Black Hawk was on an annual proficiency training flight.
“We do know on our side who was involved. It was a fairly experienced crew, and that was doing a required annual night evaluation,” Hegseth said in a video statement obtained exclusively by Fox News. “We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter at the right altitude at the time of the incident.”
“It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian airliner. And of course, the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They’re in our prayers, their families and their communities as people are notified,” Hegseth added.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp took to social media to share more about the victims of the tragedy.
“We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Ryan O’Hara and Sam Lilley as they navigate this difficult time,” he wrote on X. “Both of these young Georgians shared a passion for flight and for serving others, and this terrible tragedy is that much more difficult knowing their lives were cut so unexpectedly short. Marty, the girls, and I ask that all Georgians join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.”
Lilley was one of the crew members aboard the American Airlines regional jet, his father, Timothy Lilley, told FOX 5 Atlanta.
DC PLANE CRASH TIMELINE: MIDAIR COLLISION INVOLVES 67 PASSENGERS, CREW MEMBERS, SOLDIERS
On Wednesday, around 9:00 PM local time, the FAA issued a ground stop at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a military helicopter with three soldiers collided with a civilian airplane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members.
In a press conference on Thursday morning, DC Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly announced nearly 30 bodies had been recovered from the scene of the collision so far. At this time, authorities do not believe there are any survivors, Donnelly added.
“We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” he added. “Despite all these efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”
Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser thanked first responders for working in a “very frigid” river through the night in what started as a search and rescue mission, which is now a recovery mission.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was sworn-in hours before the collision, vowed to get answers on behalf of the collision victims’ families and the American people. Duffy noted that the collision occurred on a clear night and that both the airplane and helicopter were in “standard” patterns.
“Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely, that when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn’t happen last night,” Duffy said. Duffy believes that the evidence so far indicates that the collision could have “absolutely” been prevented.
The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided in midair with a military helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. According to reports, there were no survivors among the 67 people on board both aircraft. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
AMERICAN FIGURE SKATER SAYS HE WAS BARRED FROM FLIGHT THAT COLLIDED WITH ARMY HELICOPTER
In a blunt Truth Social post, President Donald Trump called the crash “a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Shortly after the collision, Vice President JD Vance urged people to “say a prayer for everyone involved.”
