Father of American Airlines Pilot Killed in Crash: 'It Hurts So Bad'

Photo : Facebook

A terrible accident happened 28-year-old pilot, Sam Lilley, died in a crash. His plane, American Airlines Flight 5342, hit a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The crash happened three miles from the White House and near the Capitol, over the Potomac River close to the Washington National Airport. All 67 people on both the plane and helicopter were killed. This is the deadliest plane crash in the US since 2001.

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Sam's father, Timothy Lilley, shared his sadness on Facebook. He said he was proud when his son became a pilot but now, he feels a lot of pain. Timothy, who used to be a helicopter pilot in the Army, wrote that he couldn’t sleep because of the sadness. Sam had been excited to marry his fiancée this year. Losing him was a big shock to Timothy.

Timothy was in New York for work when he heard about the crash. He said he knew something was wrong when Sam didn't check in as usual. This was the worst day of his life. Timothy also remembered his time flying helicopters and said it’s hard to see a plane over the Potomac River at night, even with special glasses. He thinks the plane followed the right rules, but the military helicopter made a mistake.

The crash happened around 8:47 pm EST. The American Airlines flight was on its way to Washington, D.C., from Wichita, Kansas. There were famous athletes and coaches on the plane, including Russian ice skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

The black boxes from the plane have been found, and rescuers are pulling bodies from the Potomac River. The crash has left many people heartbroken as they remember the lives lost in the accident.

Jan. 31, 2025 4:58 p.m. 628

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