The father of the man piloting an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter mid-air in Washington, D.C. has spoken out.
Sam Lilley, 28, was one of two people piloting the flight from Wichita, Kansas, his father Timothy Lilley told Fox 5 Atlanta. All 67 people on board both aircraft are feared to be dead, officials say.
The collision happened Wednesday night as the American Airlines flight descended toward Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The aircraft collided over the Potomac River, where officials are now conducting recovery efforts.
“This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life,” Lilley told Fox 5.
Timothy Lilley told the outlet that his son was engaged to be married, and that the family has ties to Savannah, in the Georgia area
Lilley was in New York when he realized his son was in the cockpit at the time of the accident, he told Fox 5. He said his worst fears were confirmed when his Sam never checked in after the flight, as he always does.
Lilley said he spent Wednesday evening at the airport, filling out forms as he waited for answers about his son. He now wants clarity on the events that led to the deadly collision.
Lilley himself served as an Army helicopter pilot for 20 years, telling Fox 5 that he has flown a similar route over the Potomac River.
“I was a helicopter pilot in the Army for 20 years,” he said. “In the ’90s, I used to fly in and out of the Pentagon regularly, and I can tell you if you are flying on the route over the Potomac and wearing night vision goggles, it’s going to be very hard to see that plane. If you’re not wearing the goggles, then you might have a chance.”
“From what I can see, those guys turned right into the jet,” he added. “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.”
Ian Epstein has been identified by his wife as a flight attendant aboard the American Airlines flight, Queen City News reports.
Epstein’s wife, Debi, told Queen City News her husband “died doing what he loved.”
Ryan O’Hara was identified as the crew chief on the Black Hawk helicopter, 11Alive reports. O’Hara was also honored by his former high school, Parkview High in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of one of our own. Class of 2014, former cadet Ryan O’Hara was the Crew Chief on the Black Hawk involved in last nights crash in DC.,” the school’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program said in a statement, according to 11Alive
The military helicopter, flown by “fairly experienced” crew members, was conducting “a required annual night evaluation,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Emergency crews have recovered at least 28 bodies as of Thursday afternoon. All flights in and out of Reagan National Airport also resumed at 11 a.m. Thursday.