Trans pilot falsely blamed in DCA plane crash files defamation lawsuit against influencer

WASHINGTON - A transgender woman was falsely identified as the pilot flying the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines plane on January 29. Now, she's suing the right-wing influencer over social media posts that named her. 

What we know:

Right-wing influencer Matt Wallace posted on social media naming Jo Ellis as the pilot of the helicopter and including photos of her following the plane crash, calling the tragedy a "trans terror attack." 

Ellis sued Wallace Wednesday over the posts, according to reporting from The Washington Post. 

The lawsuit alleges that Wallace "decided to exploit this devastation for clicks and money" and "knew an anti-transgender narrative would draw significant attention."

Who is Jo Ellis? 

The backstory:

Ellis joined the Virginia Army National Guard in 2009 as a helicopter pilot. She has been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. In 2020, she became a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, according to the Post. 

Ellis began to start her transition and began hormone therapy in 2023. She kept her transition private until January 28, 2025. 

On January 28, the day before the plane crash, she published an essay talking about her service and her decision to come out to her unit as transgender. The next morning, she appeared on a podcast discussing the essay. 

What they're saying:

Hours after a helicopter and an American Airlines flight crashed, Wallace started posting about it on X, suggesting that it was not an accident and calling attention to Ellis' podcast episode, according to the lawsuit. 

When Ellis made a "proof of life" video to prove that she was not involved in the fatal crash, Wallace deleted some of his posts and made news ones. 

The lawsuit alleges that Wallace was "grasping at straws now that the walls were caving in on him."

Ellis said she was harassed and received death threats following Wallace's posts. 

DCA Plane Crash

What Happened:

An American Airlines plane collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 26, killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft – the deadliest aviation crash in the U.S. since 2009.