Jo Ellis, a transgender pilot with the Virginia National Guard, released a statement on Facebook as “proof of life” in response to viral posts online falsely identifying her as one of the pilots of a U.S. Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet on Jan. 30 in Washington, DC.
A regional jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people with no survivors, according to authorities. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Posts on X and Facebook identified one of the helicopter personnel as Ellis, a transgender woman.
The accounts shared a blog article and Jan. 29 podcast episode with Ellis, hosted by radio journalist Matthew Smerconish, in which the pair discussed her 15-year experience in the military and Virginia Army National Guard.
“There were no Virginia National Guard personnel on board the Black Hawk that collided with the jetliner Wednesday evening,” a Virginia National Guard spokesperson told Reuters.
Ellis, a Chief Warrant Officer 2, is a currently serving soldier, the spokesperson added.
Ellis shared a video and post on Facebook on Jan. 31 in response to the falsehoods, saying: "This is Jo Ellis, I am a Black Hawk pilot with Virginia Army National Guard. I understand some people have associated me with a, the crash in DC, and that is false.
“It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don't deserve that, I don't deserve this, and I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors."
The pilots have not yet been publicly identified. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Jan. 30 the Black Hawk training flight was operated by a “fairly experienced crew” including two males and one female.
Some people spreading the falsehood on social media directly referenced President Donald Trump’s series of executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Ellis declined to comment via a Virginia National Guard spokesperson. Smerconish did not reply to a request for comment.
VERDICT
False. Ellis was not a pilot on the Black Hawk training flight that crashed in Washington, DC on Jan. 30.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
