FACT CHECK: Threads Post Does Not Show Female Pilot Involved In Recent Black Hawk Helicopter Crash

An image shared on Threads purports to show Rebecca Lobach, the female pilot aboard a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that recently collided with a commercial flight in Washington, D.C.

Verdict: False

The image, which was originally shared on X by former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, shows Chloe Kellison, not Lobach. Kellison is a press assistant at the White House, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Fact Check:

The Black Hawk helicopter that recently collided with a commercial flight was on a “continuity of government” mission, according to Reuters. The mission is designed to allow the government to continue to operate in the event of an attack on the U.S., the outlet reported.

The Threads image claims to show Lobach, the female pilot aboard a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that recently collided with a commercial flight in Washington, D.C. “BLACK HAWK PILOT: She spent the last two years at the White House instead of flying? Why?,” the image’s caption reads.

The image shows a group of people with former President Joe Biden. The woman in question is standing two people over from Biden and a red circle has been drawn around her face.

The claim is false. Check Your Fact conducted a reverse image search, which led us to the original image shared via Jean-Pierre’s government X account, @PressSec46. The original image is shown at a wider angle, meaning the Threads post was cropped.

“Here’s to the best team in the business. I couldn’t do it without you. Let’s run through the tape!” Jean-Pierre wrote on Jan. 3.

Jean-Pierre also shared the image to her verified Instagram account, @k_jeanpierre, where she tagged multiple other accounts, including @chloevalentinek.

Here’s to the best team in the business. I couldn’t do it without you. Let’s run through the tape! #thewestwing #POTUS #WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/bFl7Bjua73

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec46) January 3, 2025

Using this information, Check Your Fact searched the White House’s list of employees on LinkedIn and identified the woman in the image as Kellison. According to her LinkedIn profile, Kellison is a press assistant at the White House.

Likewise, Lobach was identified as the female pilot aboard the Black Hawk helicopter on Feb. 1 by the U.S. Army, according to The Associated Press. A photo of Lobach included in The Associated Press article shows that she bears no resemblance to Kellison.

Furthermore, Lead Stories debunked the claim on Feb. 3. (RELATED: Did An Intel Officer Post About Resisting The Trump Administration On Facebook?)

Check Your Fact has contacted Kellison via LinkedIn for comment.