Report: Black Hawk Pilot Rebecca Lobach Ignored Warnings Before Deadly Mid-Air Collision Near DC's Reagan Airport

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Summary

Pilot made two deadly mistakes moments before plane crash that killed 67 people

These requests happen every day around the world without causing collisions; however, Cpt. Lobach failed to visually separate from the incoming passenger jet. The New York Times indicated that this was either because she did not spot the plane, or was unable to pilot the helicopter to a safer position.

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Daily Mirror

Reagan Airport Collision: NYT Investigation Reveals Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot Error

On 29 January 2025, a tragic midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport claimed 67 lives. An Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet operating as flight AA5342, collided over the Potomac River. A New York Times investigation, published on 27 April 27 has uncovered critical details of the moments prior to the collision. The Black Hawk pilot, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, failed to follow a co-pilot’s instruction to change course, contributing to the disaster.

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AviationSource

NYT Hides Detail That Army Pilot Allegedly Ignored Warning Before Fatal D.C. Crash

The @nytimes story on the January DC plane crash hides its takeaway until the last sentences: the lady helicopter pilot ignored multiple warnings from her right seat about altitude (and his directly telling her to turn away) and flew straight into a passenger jet.

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Breitbart

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News Results

The Missteps That Led to a Fatal Plane Crash at Reagan National Airport

Army helicopter crashed into a jet near Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29. Crew asked for permission to use a common aviation practice called “visual separation.” The request to fly under those rules is granted routinely in airspace overseen by controllers. But when mishandled, it can also create a deadly risk.

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13m ago

NY Times Downplays Pilot Error In Deadly DC Crash To Push Preferred Narrative

NY Times Downplays Pilot Error In Deadly DC Crash To Push Preferred Narrative. An honest headline would have read, "Helicopter Pilot Ignored Multiple Safety Warnings Before Fatal Crash" The Black Hawk pilot received clear, explicit warnings about altitude from their co-pilot. They ignored those warnings and flew straight into the path of an American Airlines flight.

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11m ago

Army Pilot Reportedly Failed To Follow Instructions Before Mid-Air Crash Killed 67 Over DC

The pilot of a UH-60 Black Hawk failed to execute a course change shortly before a deadly January mid-air collision with an airliner, The New York Times reported. The Jan. 29 collision between a commuter flight from Wichita, Kansas, and the UH/60 Blackhawk near Reagan National Airport killed all 67 people on both aircraft.

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11m ago

Report shares key factors that saw helicopter collide with jet and kill 67

Bombshell report reveals key factors behind Black Hawk collision with jet that killed 67. The disaster near Washington DC's Ronald Reagan International Airport killed 64 people on board American Airlines Flight 5342. The mid-air crash was deadliest incident involving an aircraft in the US since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

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11m ago

New Details Emerge About Female Pilot Rebecca Lobach's Shocking Negligence Before Helicopter-Plane Collision Near DC's Reagan Airport

A preliminary FAA report indicated that staffing at the DCA Air Traffic Control tower was “not normal” at the time of the helicopter-plane collision. The US Army released a video of the explosion mid-air from the Kennedy Center. The American Airlines flight carrying approximately 64 souls collided with a Blackhawk helicopter near Washington D.C.

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11m ago

Black Hawk pilot didn't follow flight instructor prior to collision over Washington, DC: NYT report

Black Hawk pilot didn't follow flight instructor prior to collision over Washington, DC: NYT report. "Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet," read the report.

MIDDLE

11m ago

New Revelation From Deadly Mid-Air Collision: Black Hawk Pilot Failed To Turn When Advised

The pilot of the Black Hawk that crashed into a passenger jet in January, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft, failed to turn the military helicopter when advised to do so by her co-pilot, according to a new report. On Sunday, The New York Times published new details on various “failures” underlying the mid-air ...

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12m ago

Blackhawk pilot made two mistakes before helicopter crash killing 67 people

Army Black Hawk pilot Captain Rebecca Lobach was conducting an annual flight evaluation with her co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves. Fifteen seconds before colliding with the commercial plane, air traffic control told her to turn left, but she did not do this. She did not comply with directions to change course seconds before the crash.

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12m ago

Ignoring instructor, Army pilot’s risky move led to deadly Washington crash: Report

Captain Rebecca Lobach failed to follow her co-pilot and instructor Andrew Eaves’s order to turn left in a bid to avoid the descending aircraft, ignoring his instructions just 15 seconds before the crash.

MIDDLE

11h ago

Report Reveals Fatal Mistake That Led to Deadly D.C. Plane Crash

Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, who joined the Army in 2019, was piloting the helicopter as part of an annual flight exam. Her co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, was also serving as her flight instructor. All three military personnel aboard the helicopter and all 60 passengers, plus four crew members, aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 were killed.

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13m ago

Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot in D.C. Plane Crash Was Not in Medical Distress: Report

A new report into the Jan. 29 midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter found that the captain who was flying the military aircraft was not impaired. "There is no indication that [Capt. Rebecca Lobach] was suffering from health issues at the time," the report stated.

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13m ago

Army Blackhawk pilot in DC crash failed to heed flight instructor’s command 15 seconds before deadly collision: report

Army Blackhawk pilot in DC crash failed to heed flight instructor’s command 15 seconds before deadly collision: report. Capt. Rebecca Lobach missed an order from co-pilot Andrew Eaves, who was overseeing her training mission, to change course and avoid the descending American Airlines jet. Officials found that the pilots “stepped on” some of the air traffic controller's instructions.

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13m ago