Captain Rebecca M Lobach was the female pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter in the American Airlines Eagle 5342 Washington DC plane crash
An American Airlines regional plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., killing at least 67 people in one of the bloodiest aviation tragedies in US history.
The identification of the pilot operating the military helicopter was made public by the US Army on Saturday evening. Since July 2019, Durham, North Carolina resident Captain Rebecca M. Lobach had been an Army aviation officer.
Who is Captain Rebecca M Lobach, female pilot of Black Hawk helicopter in American Airlines Eagle 5342 Washington DC plane crash, bio, age, family, college and education
I’m heartbroken to share that my friend Capt. Rebecca Lobach died in Wednesday evening’s crash near DC’s National Airport.
Rebecca was brilliant and fearless, a talented pilot and a PT stud. We trained and commissioned together from @UNCArmyROTC, and we had a lot of fun along… pic.twitter.com/ZaKgWssdSI
— Davis Winkie (@davis_winkie) February 1, 2025
“Rebecca was many things. She was a daughter, sister, partner, and friend. She was a servant, a caregiver, an advocate. Most of all, she loved and was loved. Her life was short, but she made a difference in the lives of all who knew her. Our hearts break for the other families who have lost loved ones in this national tragedy and we mourn with them,” her family said.
“She achieved the rank of captain, having twice served as a platoon leader and as a company executive officer in the 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. With more than 450 hours of flight time, she earned certification as a pilot-in-command after extensive testing by the most senior and experienced pilots in her battalion.”
One of the three soldiers aboard an Army Black Hawk helicopter that was involved in the deadly midair collision with an American Airlines flight Wednesday near Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., was identified Saturday by the Army as 28-year-old Captain Rebecca Lobach, who had worked as a White House aide in the Biden administration.
She had around 500 hours of flying time in the Black Hawk under her belt.
Lobach had served as an aviation officer in the Army from July 2019 until January 2025 and had been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Lobach was a native of Durham, North Carolina, and enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard while in college in December 2018 and she attended Sewanee: The University of the South, where she played basketball, and then later the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she completed a degree in biology in 2019 as a distinguished military graduate. She had two sisters as well but the names of her family members aren’t known.
Since July 2019, Rebecca M. Lobach had been a regular Army aviation officer, posted to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She graduated with honours as a military graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s ROTC program, where she was among the top 20% of cadets in the country and excelled academically.
.@USARMY releases the name of the third Black Hawk crew member in this week’s devastating collision with the American Airlines Jet: Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina. And a rare, heartbroken statement from her family. pic.twitter.com/cLCu1sW87v
— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) February 1, 2025
She received the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defence Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal for her service to the US Army. According to CNN, those who knew her characterized her as a “hardworking and driven” officer who “was made for” Army aviation.
Her family said they were “devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca,” who was a “bright star” in their lives. She is “kind, generous, brilliant, funny, ambitious, and strong,” according to their description.
Her family stated in the US Army statement, “No one dreamed bigger or worked harder to achieve her goals.”
In addition, Lobach offered to assist the President and First Lady in hosting a number of White House events, such as the Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremonies, as a White House Military Social Aide.
She was the female Pilot aboard the Blackhawk that collided with American Eagle flight at Reagan.
Rebecca played basketball at Sewanee: The University of the South. She later transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she completed a… pic.twitter.com/X7JJP3Wbhj
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) February 2, 2025
After her military duty ended, Lobach planned to pursue more study and become a doctor. She also worked as an advocate for victims of s*xual assault.