Ryan O’Hara was identified as the crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the American Airlines plane near Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, DC.
The father of U.S. army Black Hawk pilot Ryan O’Hara, Gary O’Hara, described the crew he flew with as “probably” one of the “most respected pilots that Ryan had ever flown with.”
“He trusted them with his life,” O’Hara told CBS News.
“It’s very touching to see the other soldiers saluting as they take him out with a draped flag over it. But to sit there and think that that’s my little boy — it’s crushing,” he continued.
CBS News continued:
Ryan O’Hara, 29, grew up in the Atlanta area and joined his high school’s ROTC as a cadet, even though he wasn’t from a military family. He enlisted when he was 18, specifically choosing the Army because it offered him the opportunity to work on Black Hawk helicopters.
After a tour of duty in Afghanistan, O’Hara said his family was relieved when Ryan was assigned to Fort Belvoir in Virginia, just outside the nation’s capital. He lived in the Washington region with his wife and 1-year-old son.
“I was worried when he was in Afghanistan. You let your guard down …when he’s on American soil,” he added.
“Ryan was one of the most dedicated, disciplined, and committed soldiers I’ve ever worked with,” Chief Warrant Officer 5 Josh Muehlendorf said.
“He was chiefly concerned with the safety of his crews; the people he was training. He wanted everybody to execute their job with perfection and to come home safely,” the chief warrant officer continued.
“I’ve flown those routes in D.C. hundreds of times. There are very strict procedures there. It’s a very highly controlled environment,” Muehlendorf remarked.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
