Black Hawk pilot did not comply with a direction to change course before collision
Rebecca Lobach. (LinkedIn)
The pilot for the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight, on January 29, 2025, did not comply with directions to change course. Captain Rebecca Lobach was conducting an annual flight evaluation. Details of the investigation into the collision showed that Lobach made more than one mistake during the flight. Not long before the impact, her co-pilot advised her to change course.
From Daily Mail:
Three months on, new details published by The New York Times revealed that the pilot made more than one mistake leading to one of the worst catastrophes in aviation history.
Not only was Lobach flying her Black Hawk too high, but in the final moments before the impact, she failed to take advice and instruction from her co-pilot to switch course.
Lobach’s piloting skills were being tested during the evaluation on the fateful night, before the crew were informed that an aircraft was nearby, according to the report.
Just 15 seconds before colliding with the commercial airplane, air traffic control told Lobach and Eaves to turn left, but she did not do so.
Seconds before impact, co-pilot Eaves then turned to Lobach in the cockpit and told her that air traffic control wanted her to turn left. She still did not do so.
Investigators may never know why Lobach did not change course that day.
Both Lobach and Eaves had first acknowledged the message that an aircraft was nearby, and spotted the plane themselves before requesting to fly by ‘visual separation.’
This is a practice that allows aircraft to avoid collisions based on their own observations instead of following the air traffic controller’s instructions.
‘The request to fly under those rules is granted routinely in airspace overseen by controllers. Most of the time, visual separation is executed without note.
‘But when mishandled, it can also create a deadly risk — one that aviation experts have warned about for years,’ aviation experts told the outlet.
The report stated: ‘The Black Hawk was 15 seconds away from crossing paths with the jet. Warrant Officer Eaves then turned his attention to Captain Lobach. He told her he believed that air traffic control wanted them to turn left, toward the east river bank.’
If she had turned left, it ‘would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342,’ it added.
Additional Reading:
Richter, E. (2025, April 27). Bombshell new report reveals who made fatal mistake that caused Black Hawk to collide with jet and kill 67. Daily Mail. Link.
Category: Army News, Veterans in the news
