The crew chief and one of the pilots of the doomed Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines passenger jet over Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday were identified.
The wife of Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves, of Mississippi, confirmed his death on social media.
“I am sure by now all of you have heard the news of the tragedy that has occurred in DC,” she wrote on Facebook. “My husband was one of the pilots in the Blackhawk. We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve.”
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said the state was mourning the loss of Eaves.
“Mississippi is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was killed in last night’s accident at Reagan National Airport,” Reeves wrote on X. “Elee and I are praying for the victims’ families and first responders who are assisting.”
The instructor pilot in charge who was flying the helicopter had 1,000 flying hours – which is considered “very experienced,” Fox News has learned. Most flights are on average two hours in length.
Military and other government helicopters fly this route almost daily, according to a senior Army pilot and warrant officer.
According to a senior U.S. defense official, one set of remains from the soldiers on the Black Hawk were recovered Thursday afternoon.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the American people following the deadly collision, saying the crash happened while the Black Hawk was on an annual proficiency training flight.
We do know on our side who was involved. It was a fairly experienced crew, and that was doing a required annual night evaluation,” Hegseth said in a video statement obtained exclusively by Fox News. “We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter at the right altitude at the time of the incident.”
“It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian airliner. And of course, the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They’re in our prayers, their families and their communities as people are notified,” Hegseth added.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp took to social media to share more about the victims of the tragedy.
“We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Ryan O’Hara and Sam Lilley as they navigate this difficult time,” he wrote on X. “Both of these young Georgians shared a passion for flight and for serving others, and this terrible tragedy is that much more difficult knowing their lives were cut so unexpectedly short. Marty, the girls, and I ask that all Georgians join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.”
Lilley was one of the crew members aboard the American Airlines regional jet, his father, Timothy Lilley, told FOX 5 Atlanta.
On Wednesday, around 9:00 PM local time, the FAA issued a ground stop at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a military helicopter with three soldiers collided with a civilian airplane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members.
In a press conference on Thursday morning, DC Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly announced nearly 30 bodies had been recovered from the scene of the collision so far. At this time, authorities do not believe there are any survivors, Donnelly added.
“We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” he added. “Despite all these efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”
