CBS News has reported that two bodies — a man and a woman — were recovered yesterday (i.e., Friday) from the wreckage of the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into a commercial airplane near Reagan Airport three days ago.

The deceased woman was the phantom co-pilot who was commanding the Blackhawk — “phantom” becauese the Army isn’t releasing her name at the request of her family. The apparent idea is to keep her identity an indefinite secret.

Why the mysterious suppression of this woman’s identity? As the unnamed woman was reportedly piloting the chopper, she was almost certainly to blame for the recent Potomac tragedy.  Her family is presumably concerned about some sort of negative blowback, but who knows?

The other body is believed to be that of Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Loyd Eaves. The body of the third member of the flight, Staff. Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, was recovered a day or two ago.

I wrestled this morning with whether or not to discuss this situation. Was there any way I could write about the phantom female pilot, I asked myself, without sounding like a MAGA asshat, which I really don’t believe myself to be?  (I’m a sensible left-centrist.) What is the soundest explanation for the family’s no-name request? I’m asking.