WASHINGTON (AP) —The Army has released the names of two soldiers who died when their Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet earlier this week.
At the family’s request, the name of the third crew member killed in the crash is not being released at this time, the Army said.
The remains of Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, the crew chief, have been recovered and a positive identification is pending, the Army said.
The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves of Great Mills, Maryland, and of the third soldier have not yet been recovered.
The 39-year-old Eaves, one of the pilots on the helicopter, served in the U.S. Navy from August 2007 to September 2017, then moved to the Army, to serve as a Black Hawk pilot.
His awards include three Army commendation medals and three Navy achievement medals, as well as a Global War on Terrorism medal.
O’Hara had served as a helicopter repairer for Black Hawks since July 2014. He deployed to Afghanistan from March to August 2017. He also has two Army commendation medals, four achievement medals and a Global War on Terrorism medal.