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The Army helicopter involved in the deadly midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport operated from Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir.
The UH-60 Black Hawk was conducting a training mission Wednesday night when it collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, according to a statement from Fort Belvoir.
The helicopter belonged to Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and Army will investigate the collision, with the NTSB leading the inquiry.
The Army identified the three soldiers aboard as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland; and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, 28, of Durham, North Carolina. It remained unclear whether all of their remains had been recovered.
Helicopters have operated from Davison Army Airfield for years. Their flights have prompted noise complaints from nearby residential communities, many of which were built long after the airfield began operating.