Following the tragic collision near Washington, D.C., involving an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, false claims have circulated alleging that Jo Ellis, a transgender individual, was the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter during the incident. These claims also suggested that Ellis had written a lengthy letter about “Gender Dysphoria” and depression one day prior to the fatal crash, insinuating a possible connection to a “trans terror attack.” However, these allegations are entirely untrue.
Making a long post on X (Formerly Twitter), @MikeDePorch45 wrote, “So now we’re learning that the Pilot/Co-Pilot ‘female’ who was on the Blackhawk is a transgender who wrote a long letter ONE DAY PRIOR about ‘Gender dysphoria’ and depression. Identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2), Jo Ellis served in the Virginia National Guard for 15 years and transitioned while serving as a pilot. Jo Ellis has also been making radicalized statements about Trump on social media. Was this a suicide mission? That’s what the flight radar data LITERALLY shows, almost colliding with 3 other planes before the final impact.” Later, he deleted the post.
Another account, @CultureWar2020, also made similar claims.
The truth behind the claims, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the image and claims came to our notice. Subsequently, we conducted research and analysis of the claims. We found that Jo Ellis was not a pilot of Black Hawk Helicopter during the incident.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a relevant keyword search and found multiple reports and her statement regarding the rumours. According to available credible sources (1, 2), Jo Ellis is alive and well, and she has publicly addressed the rumors in a video statement, clarifying that she was not involved in the incident. Additionally, the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter has been identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves. The crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter has been identified as Ryan O’Hara.
Therefore, it is evident from verified sources that Jo Ellis was not the pilot of the black Hawk helicopter that collided with the American Airlines plane near Washington DC.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) February 1, 2025
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: Following the tragic collision near Washington, D.C., involving an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, false claims have circulated alleging that Jo Ellis, a transgender individual, was the pilot (1/4) pic.twitter.com/g6YOctuVC6
Intent
Influencers are circulating misleading claims about the tragic plane crash near Washington DC to set their narrative against transgender community.
Conclusion
Claim– Jo Ellis, a transgender, was the pilot of the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter during the collision with American Airlines near Washington.
Fact– Jo Ellis was not the pilot of the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter during the collision near Washington. She is alive and well.
Related Article: Fact Check: American figure skater was barred from boarding the DC-bound plane that collided with a helicopter near Washington? – D-Intent Data
