A Mississippi community is mourning the loss of a native son – one of the three U.S. servicemen apparently killed in a tragic midair collision near Washington, D.C., on the evening of January 29, 2025.

Residents of Noxubee County are grieving the loss of Andrew Eaves, a native of Brooksville. The Macon Beacon newspaper reported the death on its Facebook page on Thursday.

“Noxubee County is mourning the death of native son Andrew Eaves,” the post stated. “His wife has confirmed reports that he was among the military Blackhawk pilots who died in last night’s crash with airliner in Washington, D.C. Andrew was a Central Academy graduate who grew up in the Brooksville area.”

The accident occurred when an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, carrying 64 passengers and crew, collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. Tragically, there were no survivors from either aircraft.

The cause of the collision is currently under investigation by federal authorities. As of Thursday morning, officials have not officially released the names of the victims in the helicopter and airline. Preliminary reports suggest that the midair collision occurred as the regional jet was on its final approach to the airport.