GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — One of those soldiers on board a military helicopter when it crashed into a commercial plane in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night is a graduate of a Gwinnett County High School.
The Parkview High School JROTC confirmed that Ryan O’Hara, who graduated from the school in 2014, was the Crew Chief on board the Black Hawk helicopter.
“Ryan is fondly remembered as a guy who would fix things around the ROTC gym as well as a vital member of the Rifle Team. Ryan leaves behind a wife and 1-year-old son,” they wrote in a statement.
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Governor Brian Kemp posted a statement on X calling the loss of O’Hara and a second victim, American Airlines pilot Sam Lilley, a “terrible tragedy.”
Three soldiers were on the helicopter conducting a training flight while 64 passengers and crew members were on American Airlines Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines.
On Thursday morning, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that the soldiers were completing an annual proficiency training flight.
“It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing an annual required night evaluation,” and “they did have night vision goggles,” Hegseth said.
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President Donald Trump confirmed the NTSB, the U.S. military and other federal agencies would do a comprehensive investigation into the crash to “figure out exactly what happened.”
Within about 12 hours after the crash, at least 28 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River.
Several members of the U.S. Figure Skating Association were on board the flight, the organization confirmed.
The skaters were from the Skating Club of Boston and included the skaters, coaches and family members who were at a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championship.
Many of the victims’ identities have not yet been released.
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