On Wednesday night, a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines flight 5342, causing the deaths of three troops aboard the helicopter and 64 passengers on the plane. The helicopter was conducting a training exercise for a continuity of government (COG) mission, which includes evacuating critical sites like the White House in the event of a catastrophe. The troops were practicing the evacuation plan when the crash occurred near Washington, D.C. The identities of the two crew members, Staff Sergeant Ryan O\u2019Hara and pilot Andrew Eaves, were revealed, but the name of a third soldier, a female co-pilot, was withheld at her family\u2019s request. Social media speculated that the exercise involved the president\u2019s emergency evacuation plan. The cause of the crash is under investigation, and both planes\u2019 black boxes were recovered. The crash occurred in a congested airspace with air traffic controller shortages at Ronald Reagan National Airport.<\/p>\n