The United States Army has identified two of the three soldiers involved in the fatal helicopter crash into a commercial airliner near Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C.
The Army says 28-year-old Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara of Liburn, Georgia and 39-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves of Great Mills, Maryland were “performing a training mission near the Airport when their helicopter crashed with an American Airlines jet.
The third soldier that died in the crash will not be identified at this time at the request of the family.
The Army says Staff Sgt. O’Hara still needs to be positively identified ant that Chief Warrant Officer Eaves’ body has yet to be recovered.
“Our deepest condolences go out to all the families and friends impacted during this tragedy, and we will support them through this difficult time. Our top priority is to assist in the recovery efforts, while fully cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and other investigative agencies to determine the cause of this tragic incident,” said Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, commander Joint Task Force – National Capital Region/ U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Eaves served in the Navy from 2007 through 2017 and then transitioned to a pilot in the Army.
He received the following awards during his service:
Army Commendation Medal x3, Navy Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal x3, Navy “E” Ribbon x2, Navy Good Conduct Medal x3, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon and Army Aviator Badge.
O’Hara served as a helicopter repairer since 2014 and served in Afghanistan from March to August 2017.
His awards include Army Commendation Medal w/C Device, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal x4, Army Good Conduct Medal x3, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Aviation Badge and Senior Aviation Badge.
A total of 67 people died in the accident late Wednesday.
The NTSB is leading an investigation into the crash and preliminary details are expected to be released in about 30 days.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM