FACT CHECK: Viral X Post Falsely Claims Jo Ellis Was Pilot Of Black Hawk Helicopter Involved In Fatal Crash

A viral post shared on X claims transgender military pilot Jo Ellis was the pilot of a Black Hawk helicopter that recently collided with a commercial flight in Washington, D.C.

🚨 BREAKING: The Last Interview of Blackhawk Pilot Joe Ellis—Was This Crash Intentional? 🚨

Just ONE DAY before piloting the Blackhawk that collided mid-air with a passenger jet over DC, transgender military pilot Joe Ellis appeared on the Michael Smerconish podcast. In the… pic.twitter.com/mgE4qisxmJ

— Project Constitution (@ProjectConstitu) January 31, 2025

Verdict: False

According to NBC News, Ellis released a “proof of life” video following rumors she was the pilot involved in the fatal collision.

Fact Check:

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the Black Hawk helicopter that recently collided with a commercial flight was flying too high, according to Fox News. Flight data obtained by the NTSB places the helicopter at 300 feet, or 100 feet higher than the “200-foot ceiling for helicopters flying in the National Capital Region,” the outlet reported.

The X post, which has received over 900,000 views as of writing, claims Ellis was the pilot of a Black Hawk helicopter that recently collided with a commercial flight in Washington, D.C.

“BREAKING: The Last Interview of Blackhawk Pilot Joe Ellis—Was This Crash Intentional? Just ONE DAY before piloting the Blackhawk that collided mid-air with a passenger jet over DC, transgender military pilot Joe Ellis appeared on the Michael Smerconish podcast. In the interview, Ellis expressed anger over Trump’s ban on trans service members, calling it a direct threat to a career in the military,” the post reads in part.

The post also claims Ellis purportedly crashed the helicopter on purpose.

The claim is false. According to NBC News, Ellis released a “proof of life” video following rumors she was the pilot involved in the fatal collision.

“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,” Ellis said in the video, the outlet reported.

Likewise, NPR indicated that the U.S. Army identified the three crew members aboard the Black Hawk as Captain Rebecca Lobach, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, and Staff Sergeant Ryan O’Hara. (RELATED: Viral Threads Post Falsely Claims Figure Skater John Maravilla Was Turned Away From Fatal DC Flight)

In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Jan. 31, Politifact debunked the claim.

The Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commercial flight on Jan. 29, according to ABC News. The bodies of all 67 individuals involved in the fatal crash have been identified, the outlet reported.