Skip to main content
Tags: tim lilley | sam lilley | georgia | d.c. air crash

Father Says Son From Ga. Was Pilot on Plane in D.C. Crash

DC Fire Chief on Crash: 'We weren't able to rescue anyone'; 67 Dead
DC Fire Chief on Crash: 'We weren't able to rescue anyone'; 67 Dead
00:00
00:0000:00GO LIVE

By    |   Thursday, 30 January 2025 02:56 PM EST

The father of a family with ties to Georgia said Thursday his son was one of two pilots on the American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

Officials believe all 64 people on board the American Eagle passenger jet and three people on board the Army helicopter died, though identities have not been confirmed publicly. It was the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than 20 years.

Sam Lilley, a Georgia native who graduated from Georgia Southern University, was one of the pilots on the American Airlines flight, his father, Timothy Lilley, told WAGA-TV in Atlanta.

"This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life," said Timothy Lilley, who added he was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said both aircraft had been flying standard flight patterns and there had been no breakdown in communication. Radio communications showed that air traffic controllers alerted the helicopter about the approach jet and ordered it to change course.

Timothy Lilley told WAGA-TV he believes the helicopter pilot made an error.

"From what I can see, those guys turned right into the jet," he said. "I think the [passenger] 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."

Passengers on the American Eagle jet were believed to include figure skaters, families, and coaches returning from a training camp in Wichita, Kansas, following the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, including Russian-born coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

Solange Reyner

Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.

Newsfront
The father of a family with ties to Georgia said Thursday his son was one of two pilots on the American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
tim lilley, sam lilley, georgia, d.c. air crash
271
2025-56-30
Thursday, 30 January 2025 02:56 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved