The US Army has explained why it is only identifying two of the three soldiers involved in the deadly mid-air collision between a Blackhawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane.
The crash occurred on January 29 at 8:47 p.m. ET over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The UH-60 Blackhawk from the 12th Aviation Battalion, Fort Belvoir, collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700. All 64 passengers on the plane and three aboard the helicopter are presumed dead.
The Army named two of the soldiers: “Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, is believed to be deceased pending positive identification.” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, is listed as “duty status-whereabouts unknown (DUSTWUN).” The third soldier’s name will not be released “at the request of the family.”
The investigation is being led by the NTSB, with support from the FAA and the US Army. “We are working with local officials and will provide any additional information once it becomes available.”
Major General Trevor J. Bredenkamp expressed condolences, stating, “Our top priority is to assist in the recovery efforts while fully cooperating” with investigators.
