Andrew Eaves has been identified as the second soldier on the Blackhawk helicopter (Image: Facebook)
A second soldier on board the involved in a with an passenger jet over Washington, D.C. has been identified.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves was among the three military personnel participating in a training exercise when tragedy struck on Wednesday night.
The collision, which claimed the lives of all 67 people involved, sent the helicopter plunging into the Potomac River.
So far, authorities have recovered around 40 bodies from the wreckage as search efforts continue.
Eaves’ grieving widow, Carrie Eaves, confirmed his death in an emotional statement: “My husband was one of the pilots in the Black Hawk.
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Andrew Eaves’ widow made heartbreaking tribute (Image: Facebook)
“We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today.”
She shared personal photographs of Eaves and encouraged others to do the same in his memory.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves also paid tribute, writing on social media: “Mississippi is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was killed in last night’s accident at Reagan National Airport.”
Eaves’ fellow soldier, Ryan O’Hara, a father from Georgia, had been identified earlier as the crew chief on board the helicopter.
His family is also reeling from the devastating loss, with his father, Gary O’Hara, expressing his heartbreak: “His mother, sister, and I are just absolutely devastated. We were talking to him just yesterday, and now we’ll never have the opportunity again.”
Both Eaves and O’Hara were highly experienced, with Eaves logging over 1,000 hours of flight time.
The flight’s commanding officer, a female pilot who has yet to be identified, had logged more than 500 hours of experience.
The mid-air collision occurred just before 9 p.m. as American Airlines Flight 5342, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas, approached Reagan National Airport.
The impact caused a massive fireball before both aircraft crashed into the river.
The search-and-recovery operation remains underway (Image: Getty)
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Among the airline crew members confirmed dead were pilots Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley.
Lilley’s father, a former Black Hawk pilot himself, revealed that he had once flown the exact same route where the crash occurred. “Samuel was in the prime of his life,” he said.
“He was engaged, and we were all excited about her joining the family.”
The cause of the collision remains unknown as federal agencies launch investigations into how two aircraft came into contact in such a heavily monitored airspace.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested an “elevation issue” may have been a factor, while President stated that the airliner “was doing everything right” and criticized the Black Hawk’s approach angle.
With no survivors, the search-and-recovery operation remains underway as officials work to provide answers to the grieving families of the 67 individuals lost in one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent US history.