A transgender Black Hawk pilot has been wrongly identified as one of the three US Army personnel aboard the helicopter that collided with a passenger plane near Washington, D.C.
Jo Ellis Shocked by False Reports
Jo Ellis, 34, was misidentified as the female co-pilot of the doomed Army Black Hawk Sikorsky UH-60 on Thursday.
A shaken Ellis answered a call from DailyMail.com on Friday morning, confirming that she was very much alive.
“I am very much alive,” Ellis said, adding that the false rumors left her shocked. Reports suggest the Pentagon is preparing an official statement to debunk the misinformation.
Ellis, who previously worked for CNN host Michael Smerconish, condemned the false reports, calling them disrespectful to the families of the 67 victims who lost their lives in Wednesday night’s disaster.
Real Identities of the Crew Members
It has been confirmed that the co-pilot of the Black Hawk was a female servicemember on a training mission, but her identity has not been disclosed.
The other two Army personnel aboard the helicopter were:
- Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves
- Ryan O’Hara from Georgia
Both perished in the tragic collision.
The Deadly Collision
The Black Hawk helicopter was reportedly flying higher than normal when it collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 as the plane prepared to land at Reagan National Airport just before 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Horrifying footage captured the moment the aircraft collided in a fireball, sending both plunging into the icy Potomac River.
All three soldiers aboard the helicopter and all 64 people aboard the Bombardier CRJ-700 were killed. As of Friday, 14 bodies remained unaccounted for, with recovery efforts still underway.
Air Traffic Control Under Scrutiny
Reports have emerged that a Reagan National air traffic controller left their shift early on the night of the crash, leaving only one person in charge of directing both plane and helicopter traffic.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom questioned why the Black Hawk crossed the airliner’s path, fueling speculation about what went wrong.
Trump Weighs In, Online Attacks Follow
Former President Donald Trump suggested diversity, equity, and inclusion policies were to blame for the disaster, prompting online conspiracy theories that falsely linked Ellis to the crash.
Ellis, a 15-year military veteran, previously wrote about her struggles with gender dysphoria in a blog for CNN’s Michael Smerconish.
She joined the Virginia National Guard in 2009 as a helicopter mechanic and deployed to Iraq in 2011, earning the Air Medal for her service. She later served in Guatemala and Kuwait before transitioning.
Ellis completed Warrant Officer Flight Training in 2020 and has served as a Black Hawk pilot since. She now serves in the National Guard while working in IT in the private sector.
A Final Statement
Ellis expressed pride in her service but was deeply disturbed by the false accusations. “This is about honoring those who lost their lives, not spreading misinformation,” she said.
