GEORGIA — One of the pilots killed when an American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk in Washington, D.C. has been identified as a Georgia man.
Sam Lilley was serving as First Officer on the flight before it crashed into the Potomac River.
“I was so proud when Sam became a pilot,” said his father, Timothy Lilley, in a Facebook post Thursday. “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.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called the loss of Lilley and a second Georgia victim, soldier Ryan O’Hara, a “terrible tragedy.”
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House Speaker Jon Burns called Lilley a “remarkable young man with a bright future ahead of him.”
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Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero shared a statement on Thursday that read:
“The Georgia Southern community is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our outstanding alumni, Sam Lilley (’18), who embodied the Eagle spirit and soared beyond in his career. We will continue to keep Sam’s family and friends in our thoughts as they grieve this tragedy.”
Lilley’s older sister, Tiffany Gibson, spoke with ABC News and told them about her brother’s love for flying.
“It was a lot tougher than he thought it was going to be, but he pursued and kicked butt through it, and then loved. He loved, loved, loved what he did,” she said.
Gibson went on to say that Lilley recently got engaged while traveling in Ireland.
We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Ryan O’Hara and Sam Lilley as they navigate this difficult time.
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) January 30, 2025
Both of these young Georgians shared a passion for flight and for serving others, and this terrible tragedy is that much more difficult knowing their…
Executive Pastor Shane Therault, of Coastal Community Christian Church in Richmond Hill, told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco that he grew up with the “extremely selfless” Lilley.
“Flying was his life but in his free time, he was getting ready to be married in the fall. He loved spending time with friends. He was really getting prepared for his next phase in life with his fiancée,” he said. “He was well trusted, well respected. A lot of people leaned on him to help them through tough times.”
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Three soldiers were on the helicopter conducting a training flight while 64 passengers and crew members were on American Airlines Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines.
President Donald Trump confirmed the NTSB, the U.S. military and other federal agencies would do a comprehensive investigation into the crash to “figure out exactly what happened.”
Within about 12 hours after the crash, at least 28 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River.
Several members of the U.S. Figure Skating Association were on board the flight, the organization confirmed.
The skaters were from the Skating Club of Boston and included the skaters, coaches and family members who were at a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championship.
Many of the victims’ identities have not yet been released
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