A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in a midair collision with American Airlines flight 5342 on Wednesday was conducting a training exercise for a potential attack on the U.S. capital. The three soldiers who tragically lost their lives were rehearsing an evacuation plan for the White House when the collision occurred just before 9 p.m.
Defense officials confirmed the training exercise, which had previously been speculated online as part of a Continuity of Government (COG) plan. COG plans ensure that critical government functions continue during catastrophic events, including attacks on government officials and infrastructure.
On Friday, the Army identified the three soldiers involved: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, Staff Sergeant Ryan O’Hara, and Captain Rebecca M. Lobach. Lobach, a former White House social media aide, had served as an aviation officer since 2019, and her family had initially requested her identity be withheld due to early unverified claims.
The crash, which caused a massive fireball, is under investigation, with black box recorders from both the helicopter and the American Airlines plane recovered. Meanwhile, another air disaster occurred on Friday when a medical Lear 55 jet crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six passengers and crew.
