As the Lilley family mourns the loss of their son Sam in a catastrophic midair collision over Washington, D.C., they are channeling their grief into a relentless campaign to reform aviation safety protocols and prevent future tragedies.
At a Glance
- A January 29 collision killed 67 people, including pilot Sam Lilley
- The crash involved a regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter
- Families say the FAA ignored warnings about airspace safety
- Secretary Duffy has launched an urgent air traffic control modernization
- Hearings on military-civilian flight coordination are underway in the Senate
A Father’s Mission for Reform
The collision that claimed 67 lives over the Potomac River—including 28-year-old PSA Airlines pilot Sam Lilley—was the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than two decades. The crash occurred when a regional jet operating for American Airlines collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter during final approach to Reagan National Airport, just miles from the Pentagon.
In the aftermath, Sam’s grieving father, Timothy Lilley, a retired Army pilot, has become an outspoken advocate for reform. “Most aviation regulations are written in blood,” he said in a searing rebuke of federal inaction. The family’s grief has become a rallying cry for sweeping changes in airspace coordination between military and commercial flights, especially in congested zones like Class B airspace over Washington, D.C.
Watch a report: Grieving father calls for urgent FAA reform after crash (Fox News).
Systemic Warnings, Ignored
The Lilleys’ advocacy is backed by the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary findings, which highlight dangerous procedural lapses and outdated air traffic control systems. According to internal records, Reagan National has experienced over 15,000 near-miss incidents involving helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft since 2011—many of which went unaddressed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has echoed that alarm, asking bluntly, “How did the FAA not know?” His department has since launched a multibillion-dollar initiative to modernize radar and communication systems, with emergency upgrades already underway at Reagan.
A Coalition for Safer Skies
The Lilley family’s movement has garnered bipartisan support, including voices from the Trump administration advocating for aviation infrastructure improvements. Timothy Lilley praised Secretary Duffy for swiftly addressing their requests and is urging Congress to mandate Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) on military aircraft near civilian routes—a long-recommended change that has yet to be enforced.
As Senate hearings focus on airspace management, the families of the 67 crash victims are pressing for essential reforms. The Lilleys, with NTSB currently analyzing black box data, insist their son’s legacy demands transformational change. “We want to ensure that no other family endures the loss that we have,” Timothy stated. Their campaign for safer skies is a heartfelt commitment to reform driven by grief and hope.
