In the aftermath of the tragic mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., authorities have identified Ryan O’Hara as the crew chief aboard the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.
The collision occurred on Wednesday around 9:00 PM local time, involving a military helicopter with three soldiers and a civilian airplane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members.
Earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided an update on the devastating midair collision that occurred last night in Washington, D.C., between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a civilian airliner.
The Army unit involved was identified as Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Fort Belvoir.
The Black Hawk’s crew was operating under night vision conditions, and the purpose of the flight was to maintain required operational proficiency.
Secretary Hegseth highlighted the experience of the crew involved, though details on their identities remain withheld pending next-of-kin notifications.
“It was an annual proficiency training flight,” said Hegseth in a video statement.
“When we look at the crew, and not all can have been notified, so we’re going to withhold the ranks and names at this point. We do know on our side who was involved.
He added, “It was a fairly experienced crew that