Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs The U.S. Army has identified Captain Rebecca M. Lobach as one of the three soldiers aboard a Black Hawk helicopter involved in a deadly midair collision near Washington D.C.The ContextThe crash, which occurred on January 29 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, claimed the lives of 67 people, including Lobach and two fellow service members.It was the first major aviation disaster involving an airline in the U.S. since 2009.What To KnowLobach, a 28-year-old Army aviation officer from Durham, North Carolina, was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She had served since 2019.She had no deployments, the Army said, but had received several commendations, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Captain Rebecca M. Lobach was killed when an army helicopter collided with a passenger plane above Washington D.C.
Captain Rebecca M. Lobach was killed when an army helicopter collided with a passenger plane above Washington D.C.
U.S. Army
She volunteered as a White House military social aide, assisting in official functions, including Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremonies.Lobach also served as a certified Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) victim advocate.”My experiences with SHARP have reinforced my resolve to serve others with compassion, understanding, and the resources necessary for healing,” Lobach once said, per her family’s statement.The collision involved the helicopter, which was on a training mission, and an American Airlines regional jetliner, that had flown from Wichita, Kansas.Both aircraft then crashed into the Potomac River, with all 67 people on board both craft believed to have been killed.Along with Lobach, two other Army personnel were killed: Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Lloyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland.There were 60 passengers and four crew members onboard the commercial plane.The crash has raised questions about aviation safety near the heavily congested airspace surrounding the nation’s capital.While President Donald Trump publicly criticized the Federal Aviation Administration’s diversity hiring practices for air traffic controllers in the wake of the crash, he has also acknowledged that he doesn’t have evidence these practices were responsible.What People Are SayingLobach’s family said in a statement: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives. She was kind, generous, brilliant, funny, ambitious and strong. No one dreamed bigger or worked harder to achieve her goals.”Rebecca began her career in the United States Army as a distinguished military graduate in ROTC at the University of North Carolina, and was in the top 20 percent of cadets nationwide.”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.”The U.S. Army said in a statement: “Our deepest condolences go out to her family, and all the families who are mourning the loss of their loved ones impacted by this devastating accident. We continue to work with the families of our fallen soldiers and support the ongoing investigations.”What Happens NextThe investigation into the collision continues.Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact [email protected]
