A father is mourning his 28-year-old son, who died in a plane crash. The young pilot, who shared his father’s passion for flying, was engaged to be married.

Sam Lilley was one of the two pilots aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night, January 29. His father, Timothy Lilley, a former military helicopter pilot, is devastated by his death.Timothy was in New York for work when news of the crash in Washington, D.C., first broke. At first, he dismissed the possibility that his son was involved. However, as time passed without any word from Sam, who never failed to check in, his concern turned into a devastating realization.

“This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life,” Timothy said upon learning that his son was on the flight and had not survived. He mourned his loss with a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, “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 with two decades of service, shared a deep love of aviation with his son. Sam began his flight training in 2019 and had been a pilot with PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, for two years.