Army names 3rd soldier who died in helicopter and airliner crash

The Military on Saturday launched the title of the third soldier who died Wednesday when an Military helicopter collided with an American Airways jet because it approached Ronald Reagan Nationwide Airport close to D.C.

Cpt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, N.C., served as an Military aviation officer since July 2019. Her awards embrace an Military commendation medal and an achievement medal.

In an announcement launched by the Military, her household stated she was a distinguished navy graduate in ROTC on the College of North Carolina, and was within the prime 20% of cadets nationwide. They stated she had greater than 450 hours of flight time, and earned “certification as a pilot-in-command after in depth testing by essentially the most senior and skilled pilots in her battalion.”

The household additionally famous that she served as a licensed sexual harassment/assault response and prevention sufferer advocate and hoped to develop into a doctor when she bought out of the Military.

“We’re devastated by the lack of our beloved Rebecca. She was a vivid star in all our lives. She was variety, beneficiant, sensible, humorous, formidable and robust. Nobody dreamed greater or labored tougher to attain her objectives,” the assertion stated, including, “we request that you just please respect our privateness as we grieve this devastating loss.”

The names of the 2 different troopers had been launched on Friday, however Lobach’s title was withheld on the time on the request of her household. The others had been: Workers Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, who was the crew chief, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Nice Mills, Maryland, who was a pilot.

There was no particular clarification from the Military for the one-day delay in releasing her title. However whereas the investigation into the crash has solely simply begun, President Donald Trump has publicly blamed the helicopter for flying at too excessive an altitude.

He additionally issued a prolonged critique about an FAA range hiring initiative — significantly concerning air visitors controllers — saying they eroded flight security.

No proof has emerged that guidelines searching for to diversify the FAA performed any function within the collision.