The New York Times failed to mention an important detail in the lede of an extensive article on the fatal January 29 crash between an Army helicopter and a jet near Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, DC.
The Times‘ report that was published on Sunday centered on the complex failures prior to the crash that took the lives of 67 people.
Several paragraphs down, the newspaper said, “The helicopter crew appeared to have made more than one mistake. Not only was the Black Hawk flying too high, but in the final seconds before the crash, its pilot failed to heed a directive from her co-pilot, an Army flight instructor, to change course,” [Emphasis added.]
In regard to the helicopter crew’s mission, the Times noted that it was to “conduct an annual evaluation of Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, who joined the Army in 2019, to ensure that her helicopter piloting skills were up to par.”
Lobach, the article said, was the highest-ranking soldier on the helicopter when the tragedy occurred. The two other soldiers onboard were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves and Staff. Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, per Breitbart News.
In the final few paragraphs of the Times article, the outlet detailed the moments before the crash, stating the Black Hawk was several seconds away from crossing paths with the American Airlines flight when Eaves addressed Lobach:
He told her he believed that air traffic control wanted them to turn left, toward the east river bank.
Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet.
She did not turn left.
The @nytimes story on the January DC plane crash hides its takeaway until the last sentences: the lady helicopter pilot ignored multiple warnings from her right seat about altitude (and his directly telling her to turn away) and flew straight into a passenger jet.
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) April 27, 2025
The end. Ugh. pic.twitter.com/7emtYkZTwQ
Lobach had been a White House social aide during former President Joe Biden’s (D) administration. She was described as “a warrior and would not hesitate to defend her country in battle,” per Breitbart News.
On January 30, President Donald Trump announced there were “no survivors” of the crash that happened over the Potomac River.
The president said, “This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions. As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly, and we are a country of really, we are in mourning.”
