New Report Reveals Hawk pilot Capt. Rebecca Lobach did not comply with critical directions

[Social Media]

 

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Tragic Missteps: New Report Reveals Critical Errors Behind Black Hawk and Jet Collision That Killed 67

 

A devastating new report has unveiled the fatal missteps that led to the collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet, killing 67 people. The investigation found that Army Black Hawk pilot Capt. Rebecca Lobach did not comply with critical directions to alter her course seconds before the fatal incident.

 

On the night of January 29, Capt. Lobach was undergoing her annual flight evaluation, with Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves serving as her instructor. According to details published by The New York Times, Lobach made several critical errors, including flying the Black Hawk too high and failing to heed advice from both air traffic control and her co-pilot moments before the crash.

 

 

The crew was first alerted to the presence of an approaching aircraft during the evaluation flight. Despite acknowledging the proximity of the plane and spotting it visually, Lobach and Eaves requested to continue under "visual separation," a procedure that relies on pilots using their own observations to maintain a safe distance rather than strictly following air traffic control directions. Aviation experts noted, "The request to fly under those rules is granted routinely in airspace overseen by controllers. Most of the time, visual separation is executed without note. But when mishandled, it can also create a deadly risk — one that aviation experts have warned about for years."

 

 

Fifteen seconds before the crash, air traffic control instructed the Black Hawk crew to turn left. Co-pilot Eaves reiterated the instruction directly to Lobach, telling her, according to the report, that "he believed that air traffic control wanted them to turn left, toward the east river bank."

 

Nevertheless, Lobach did not make the turn, a decision that the report concluded "would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342" if she had complied.

 

Instead, tragedy struck as the helicopter and the jet collided, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. Lobach, an aviation officer from Durham, North Carolina, had accumulated around 500 hours of flight time and had previously served as a White House military social aide during the Biden administration.

 

The investigation also revealed that a critical step was missed that night. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, pilots must be explicitly informed if two aircraft are on a collision course. Experts concluded that "immediate intervention was needed" but did not occur, noting, "Direct, immediate intervention was needed that night. Instead of seeing and avoiding Flight 5342, Captain Lobach continued flying straight at it."

 

Why Lobach failed to act remains a mystery. Investigators theorize that she may have been "blindsided" by the American Airlines flight’s maneuvering, specifically its "circling" of Runway 33—a crucial detail the Black Hawk crew may not have heard. It is believed that both pilots might have been pressing the microphone key while this information was transmitted. "If the key is depressed, the pilot can speak but not hear incoming communications," the report explained.

 

There is no indication that Lobach experienced a medical emergency during the crash, and no pre-existing health issues were identified, according to those close to her and the investigation.

 

Further complicating the situation, earlier findings from February indicated that the Black Hawk's altitude readings might have been inaccurate moments before the crash. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy explained that the helicopter’s crew missed critical instructions because a radio transmission "was stepped on," preventing them from hearing the words "pass behind the" during a crucial communication exchange. "At 8:47:42 — or 17 seconds before impact — a radio transmission from the tower was audible on both CVRs directing the Black Hawk to pass behind the CRJ," Homendy stated.

 

The Black Hawk was conducting a check flight that night, and the crew were using night vision goggles throughout the mission. Investigators believe the goggles remained on until the collision. It was also discovered that the helicopter’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) system was turned off for "no compelling reason," as Sen. Ted Cruz had previously told The New York Times. This system would have provided real-time location, altitude, and speed data, possibly preventing the collision.

 

The American Airlines jet, piloted by 34-year-old Jonathan Campos, was preparing to land after flying from Wichita, Kansas. The jet had adjusted its approach to use a shorter runway at the request of air traffic control, a move confirmed by flight-tracking sites. Just two seconds before the collision, the passenger jet's altitude was recorded at 313 feet.

 

The loss was immense, touching families across the country. Among the passengers were hunters, students and parents from northern Virginia schools, and members of the Skating Club of Boston, who were returning from a development camp following the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

 

Related Topics:

AA’s Diversity Policies Under Fire After Deadly Air Collision

Midair Collision Near Reagan National Sends Plane into Potomac River

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from Daily Mail  2025-04-29

 

 

[deadbeat]

Another dei failure.

[mikeymike100]

Why military helicopters were allowed on the the flight path of ;planes near commercial airports, is in itself a mystery!

[greg67]

4 minutes ago, deadbeat said:

Another dei failure.

Who? You?

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

Despite acknowledging the proximity of the plane and spotting it visually, Lobach and Eaves requested to continue under "visual separation," a procedure that relies on pilots using their own observations to maintain a safe distance rather than strictly following air traffic control directions.

 

Bad move.

 

Women don't always have great spatial awareness and they aren't always prepared to listen to instructions either. My girlfriend made a similar, less formal request to continue under "visual separation" (despite my warnings) before reversing over our 6 week old puppy. Fortunately, puppies legs are surprisingly flexible and she eventually made a full recovery. 

[greg67]

4 minutes ago, deadbeat said:

Another dei failure.

Who? You?

[spidermike007]

Well this is a massive failure, either on the part of air traffic control, the helicopter crew, or a third party. I hear that Reagan Airport airspace is incredibly congested, and they should have systems in place to prevent these kinds of occurrences. It never should have happened. 

[hotsun]

A lefty left a laughing emoji on the story

[Presnock]

14 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Well this is a massive failure, either on the part of air traffic control, the helicopter crew, or a third party. I hear that Reagan Airport airspace is incredibly congested, and they should have systems in place to prevent these kinds of occurrences. It never should have happened. 

yeah and based on this latest report, I even wonder why checkout flights were ever allowed in such areas.  The pilot obviuosly didn't pay attention to the "turn" and yeah the altitude problem with the helicopter sure didn't help either.