Father of American Airlines Pilot Says Son Was 'Engaged to Get Married' This Fall: 'Devastating'

Mar. 15, 2025

A photo of Sam Lilley that his father Timothy Lilley shared to Facebook on Jan. 30, 2025.Photo:Tim Lilley/Facebook

Tim Lilley/Facebook

The father of a pilot killed in the midair collision between anAmerican Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopternear Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, said his son was planning on getting married this year.

Timothy Lilley, the father of 28-year-old Sam Lilley, who was serving as the first officer onAmerican Airlines Flight 5342, opened up about his heartbreak and his son’s plans for the future in an emotionalFacebook poston Thursday, Jan. 30.

“I was so proud when Sam became a pilot,” he said. “Now it hurts so bad I can’t even cry myself to sleep.”

“I know I’ll see him again but my heart is breaking,” the dad wrote. “He was doing great in his career and his personal life.  He was engaged to get married in the fall. Sam was the First Officer on the flight that crashed in DC last night. It is so devastating to lose someone that is loved so much.”

Timothy, a former Army helicopter pilot, was in New York for work when he realized that his son was flying when the crash happened.

Around 9 p.m., local time, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River while approaching the D.C. airport.

Emergency response teams assess wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.Andrew Harnik/Getty

Andrew Harnik/Getty

The flight had departed from Wichita, Kan., and the airline said the plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. Officials have said they don’t believe there were any survivors.

“From what I can see, those guys turned right into the jet. I think the PSA jet was doing everything right. The Army pilot made a grave error. It hurts me because those are my brothers, and now my son is dead,” he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is now leading an investigation with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.

source: people.com