WTOC Exclusive: Family of local pilot killed in deadly DC mid-air collision reacts to recent lawsuit

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Tim Lilley has been in aviation since he can remember— 20 years flying for the U.S. Army in addition to his civilian career.

When his son, Sam decided to follow in his footsteps it was a dream. A dream that never truly got the happy ending it deserved.

Samuel Lilley was one of the two American Airlines pilot who was killed in the deadly midair collision on January 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

“When I heard it, we were just trying to find out if Sam was on that aircraft,” Tim said. “And once we started to put things together, it was a nightmare you just wanted to wake up from.”

A prayer for survivors sadly, was unanswered when the official announcement of no survivors was issued.

“It was the worst day of my life, its hard to go back to it,” said Tom.

But it’s a day that has changed the path for Lilley and with his family’s efforts, hopefully aviation safety as a whole.

“We want Sam’s legacy to be aviation safety,” Tim said. “We want it to be personal to the flying community, because everyone deserves to be able to get on a flight and arrive safely.”

In a 112 page lawsuit filed Wednesday by the widow of crash victim, Casey Crafton, the FAA, the United States Army, American Airlines and their regional partner PSA airlines, all listed as defendants in the wrongful death case.

Lilley says he does not blame any of the families for seeking accountability through this lawsuit but says that he was disheartened to see the suit point blame towards his son.

“There were some things in that lawsuit that didn’t sit right with us, and we wanted to set the record straight,” said Tom.

Although not listed as a defendant, that lawsuit claims the American Airline pilots were alerted 19 seconds prior to the crash. But according to Lilley, that 19 seconds were part of the flight’s landing, and the way the aircraft was positioned created a blind spot, making the helicopter impossible to see.

“That aircraft was in a blind spot that the crew of the CRJ could not have seen, when that air traffic alert came, their responsibility at that point was to visually find that traffic,” said Tim. “They didn’t know where it was, the traffic controller had not told them about the traffic, so now they are looking for it, but it’s in their blind spot.”

Lilley says he is in a unique situation being that he has not only flown a military Black Hawk but also a CRJ aircraft in that exact airspace where the crash happened.

“Those routes are not for beginner,” Tim added. “That is the most complex air space in all the United States. And I know how difficult it would have been for them to see that helicopter.”

His knowledge of the area and understanding of aviation makes it hard for him to believe that the lawsuit would point fingers at the pilots.

“It would have been impossible for them to see it up until moments before impact,” said Tom.

In a statement Wednesday, the FAA said it would continue to work with the National Transportation Safety Board “to ensure no family has to suffer this pain again.”

And according to Lilley the FAA is hoping to up their share of that promise.

“We have met with (Transportation) Secretary Duffy and made a lot of progress updating the national airspace system,” said Tom. “We are looking at data now, so that the next accident is found before it happens.”

The Army has said that out of respect for the families and the investigation they would not be commenting on pending litigations while both airlines have said they will fight any claim that they caused or contributed to the deadly crash.