Army Withholds Identity of Helicopter Pilot Killed in Crash

Army Withholds Identity of Helicopter Pilot Killed in Crash

The names of two male crew members were released, but the family of the third aviator requested privacy.

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By Eric Schmitt and Helene Cooper

Reporting from Washington

The Army on Friday released the names of two male aviators who were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet on Wednesday night. But in an extraordinary step, the Army did not identify the third crew member, a female pilot, citing her family’s request for privacy.

The names of service members killed during a peacetime accident or in combat zones are typically made public about 24 hours after their relatives have been notified.

“At the request of the family, the name of the third soldier will not be released at this time. That pilot is also DUSTWUN,” the Army said in a statement in a reference to “duty status-whereabouts unknown,” a temporary designation until her remains are recovered from the river where the aircraft went down.

It is unclear what specifically motivated the aviator’s family to make the request. But it comes as President Trump, before the completion of the investigation, has blamed the Black Hawk helicopter crew for the midair disaster that killed 67 people.

In a social media post on Friday morning, Mr. Trump wrote: “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”

Four people briefed on the matter told The New York Times on Thursday that the Army helicopter appeared to have been flying too high and outside its approved path when it collided with the passenger jet. The air traffic control tower had given the helicopter pilot permission to fly no higher than 200 feet, said the people, who were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly.

Responding to Mr. Trump’s comment, an Army official on Friday urged caution and patience until the investigation was sorted out.

The issue of the female aviator’s identity is particularly sensitive as Mr. Trump has also blamed diversity, without evidence, for the crash. In addition, Pete Hegseth, the newly confirmed defense secretary, has said that the military has diminished its standards by welcoming women and racial minorities into its ranks. He has echoed Mr. Trump’s comments on rooting out diversity programs in the government.

More than 10,000 women currently fill combat roles in the armed forces, from artillery and infantry positions to combat engineers and a few Green Berets and Army Rangers.

The omission of the female pilot’s identity — Mr. Hegseth has identified only her rank of captain — overshadowed an Army statement identifying the men who were killed.

The Army identified the two male aviators as Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md.; the helicopter’s co-pilot; and Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga., the Black Hawk crew chief.

Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi posted a condolence message on X about Warrant Officer Eaves, who is originally from the state, saying he and his wife were “praying for the victims’ families and first responders who are assisting.”

Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, posted a similar message on X about Sergeant O’Hara.

Mr. Hegseth said on Thursday that the Black Hawk helicopter was “doing a required annual night evaluation” flight and was being flown by “a fairly experienced crew.” Army officials said on Friday that the female pilot was undergoing her annual evaluation flight with Warrant Officer Eaves serving as her evaluator.

The UH-60 Black Hawk was flying a solo mission from Fort Belvoir, Va., and Mr. Hegseth said its unit, the 12th Aviation Battalion, would undergo “a 48-hour operational pause on contingency mission” to review the accident. The secretary said a senior-level Army aviation investigative team had arrived in Washington to help determine how the accident happened.

“We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the corridor and at the right altitude at the time of the incident,” Mr. Hegseth said in a recorded video statement from his desk at the Pentagon.

The Army has said that the helicopter crew members were among its best. “Our deepest condolences go out to all the families and friends impacted during this tragedy, and we will support them through this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, the Army’s top general in the D.C. regional district. “Our top priority is to assist in the recovery efforts,” while working with federal agencies in the investigation of the collision.

Warrant Officer Eaves, the Army said, served in the Navy for 10 years until September 2017, before moving on to become a Black Hawk UH-60 pilot for the Army.

Sergeant O’Hara has served as a Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter repairer in the Army since July 2014.