Why didn't the instructor pilot directly order Lobach to turn left? And why didn't he take over? Here's one reason the flight instructor, Warrant Officer Eaves, might have worded it the way he did, and why he might have hesitated to take over:

Captain Lobach was the highest-ranking soldier on the helicopter, but Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, who was acting as her instructor, had flown more than twice as many hours over time.

Yep. Even though Eaves had flown twice as many hours over time and was qualified to be her instructor, she outranked him - and the third crew member had more flight hours than both Eaves and Lobach. One retired Black Hawk pilot who spoke to members of Lobach's unit claims she "was on her fifth check ride after failing four previous ones" and that "the unit has been threatened not to talk to the press about her...the unit still has very woke and DEI loving leaders there." (Note: We have not yet independently verified the claim that she was on her fifth check ride.)

Veteran Sam Shoemate asked the same question on X, and had the same takeaway (emphasis mine).

"Why didn't the co-pilot take over?"

That's the question so many are asking. I don't know, and you don't know. What I do know is there is a climate in our military that is fearful of questioning decisions, or seemingly untouchable individuals, for fear of halting one's career in its tracks.

Not too long ago there was a Lieutenant running the show within her unit, because she'd befriended the commanding general of her installation on social media, and everyone in her chain of command knew she was untouchable. I spoke to her company commander, and he told me she was given a free pass to do as she pleased because of it. The chain of command was compromised because of her friendly proximity to the most senior person on her installation, and no one was willing to question that because of the overall command climate that had been created.