28-Year-Old American Airlines Pilot Tragically Dies in Crash Near Washington – His Father Breaks Silence

28-Year-Old American Airlines Pilot Dies in Plane Crash Near Washington – His Father Speaks Out

A father who lost his 28-year-old son in a plane tragedy is in grief. The young pilot was engaged to be married and shared his father’s love of flying.

On Wednesday night, January 29, two pilots, including Sam Lilley, were on board the American Airlines flight that struck a military helicopter close to Reagan National Airport. His passing has crushed his father, Timothy Lilley, a veteran military helicopter pilot.

When word initially leaked out about the crash in Washington, D.C., Timothy was in New York on business. He initially ruled out the idea that his kid was participating. But as time went on without hearing from Sam, who never missed a check-in, his worry transformed into a heartbreaking insight.

After hearing that his son had perished aboard the flight, Timothy declared, “This is without a doubt the worst day of my life.” “Sam was the First Officer on the flight that crashed in DC last night,” he said in a touching Facebook tribute in mourning for his passing. The loss of someone you love deeply is heartbreaking.

Timothy had been an Army helicopter pilot for twenty years and had a strong passion for flying, just like his kid. Sam had been a pilot for two years with PSA Airlines, a division of American Airlines, after starting flight school in 2019.

Prior to focusing on flying, he earned a marketing degree from Georgia Southern University in 2018. After graduating, Timothy revealed that his son first pursued a career in marketing before realizing that flying was his actual calling. According to his father, he put in a lot of effort to fulfill his desire.

In addition to his work, he was getting ready for his upcoming marriage to his fiancée following their fall nuptials. Timothy finds comfort in Sam’s life achievements while grieving his loss, thinking, “I was so proud when Sam became a pilot. I’m in so much pain right now that I can’t even weep myself to sleep. Even though I know I’ll see him again, my heart is aching.

In response to a tearful question about what he wanted people to remember about his son, Timothy said that Sam was a loving and joyful guy who lived life to the fullest. He underlined that Sam always gave back to the community and demonstrated his Christian beliefs by doing good deeds.

Skeeter Little, Sam’s pilot and buddy, will always treasure the experiences they had. Every day, the man smiled. Skeeter remarked, “He had the best jokes.” Sam’s enthusiasm and sense of humor made their time together at flight school, particularly the delicious lunches he packed, unforgettable.

“Being a pilot was all Sam ever desired. His father flew airplanes. We’re all working for the same objective. Become pilots,” wrote a distraught Skeeter. According to Skeeter, every department inside an airline or business contributes to the safe operation of flights, making aviation a close-knit community.

Having devoted his life to aviation and risen to the rank of First Officer at American Airlines—a career he had long coveted—Samuel was a member of this welcoming community. The aviation community is currently grieving the loss of one of its own.

Condolences and emotional tributes have been sent on social media by airline employees and fellow pilots. “Sending my condolences to all the families,” Skeeter shared. Prayers. Give your loved ones a hug. Tragic events occur, and uh. Tailwinds and clear skies.

Sam was traveling from Wichita, Kansas in a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional plane when it struck a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as it approached Runaway 33 at Reagan Washington International Airport. The Potomac River was struck by the jet and chopper.

James Burchett (R-Waycross), the House Majority Caucus Whip for Georgia, has offered his sympathy to the families. He added that the families would soon have a better understanding of the accident’s causes and what can be done to avoid future occurrences of the same kind as investigations proceed.

Sam’s father is familiar with the intricacies of airborne operations because he was a helicopter pilot. Having flown in and out of the Pentagon in the 1990s, Timothy is also familiar with the difficulties of crossing the Potomac River, particularly at night.

He noted that using night vision goggles while flying drastically lowers visibility, making it much more difficult to see other airplanes. “If you’re not wearing the goggles, then you might have a chance,” he said.

Timothy’s investigation leads him to conclude that the military helicopter committed a terrible blunder, while the commercial PSA plane was following the correct protocols. “Those people turned directly into the jet, based on what I can see. The PSA jet, in my opinion, was doing everything correctly. The Army pilot committed a serious mistake. “Those are my brothers, and now my son is dead, so it hurts me,” Timothy explained.

An update on the tragic disaster has also been provided by US President Donald Trump. Since there are no survivors, he said, the search and rescue effort has now evolved into a recovery effort. He commended the rescuers for their excellent work, using all available resources at the time of the crash.

He promised to help the accident’s impacted families and to provide them with the information they need. “We have some very strong beliefs and opinions, but we do not know what caused this crash. We’ll investigate the cause of this catastrophe and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

According to a law enforcement source, at least 40 dead have been found in the Potomac River as of the time of publication. The plane’s “black boxes” have also been found and recovered, offering vital proof for continuing inquiries.