Father of Pilot Who Died in the Washington, D.C., Plane Crash Says His Son Was 'Living Life to the Fullest' and Was in a 'Happy Place' Before the Tragic Midair Collision

The father of 28-year-old Sam Lilley, one of the pilots on the American Airlines flight that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., shared his grief following the tragic accident.

During an interview with Chris Cuomo on NewsNation, Timothy Lilley revealed, "The only thing, you know, Sam’s right with Jesus and I know where he’s going and… I just love that kid... I’m sorry."

Tim recounted waiting anxiously for news at the airport and emphasized the need for clarity regarding the events that led to the collision.

Sam's dad previously served as an Army helicopter pilot for two decades and had flown a similar route over the Potomac River.

Later in the interview, Chris asked Timothy what he wanted people to know about who his son was and what people should remember about him.

The father answered: "Well, he was living life to the fullest. He was a very kind man. He helped other people a lot… he was just really happy. He was in a happy place. And he was a Christian, so, that’s the best part of it."

When he was asked about how his son lived a life of faith, Tim said: "When he was a teenager, he raised $5,000 dollars for a well in Africa because he wanted to help other people."

Emergency crews immediately responded after the two aircrafts collided, and search and rescue teams were deployed to the scene where both the helicopter and jet had plunged into the freezing Potomac River.

The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, a carrier for American Airlines, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, at the time of the crash.

It carried four crew members and 60 passengers, including 14 teen figure skaters from Boston, their moms and two Russian-born former world champions. The Army helicopter was reported to be carrying four soldiers.

As OK! previously reported, the president held a press conference confirming there were no survivors from the crash and hinted at the incident potentially being caused by DEI hiring tactics.

Trump defended his statement: "I’m not blaming the controller. I’m saying there are things you could question."

The president also went after former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, accusing them of prioritizing DEI hiring practices instead of FAA safety. The blame then turned to labeling air traffic controllers as incompetent and mentally incapable of doing their jobs.