Know all details about the American pilots, of the American Airlines plane, pilot Captain Jonathan Campos and Samuel Lilley who died after crashing with a US Army Black Hawk along with 67 passengers
American Eagle Flight No. 5342, which was operated by PSA Airlines, collided midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter at around 9 p.m. Wednesday while approaching a runway at Reagan National Airport, the FAA said and the plane had taken off from Wichita, Kansas.
Who are Captain Jonathan Campos and First Officer Samuel Lilley, pilots of American Airlines Eagle Flight No 5342, plane involved in crash with Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk US Army helicopter
American Eagle and PSA Airlines are subsidiaries of American Airlines and the helicopter involved in the collision was on a training flight and had belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
The pilots of the ill-fated American Airlines plane, which collided with a US Army Black Hawk and tragically plunged into a river, have been identified. Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28, were among the 67 lives lost in the devastating crash that occurred outside Washington DC on Wednesday evening.
Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder meanwhile were the flight attendants identified on board the doomed American Airlines flight
BREAKING: The pilots of the American Eagle CRJ700 (operated by PSA Airlines) have been identified as Captain Jonathan Campos (left picture) and First Officer Samuel Lilley (right picture), according to The Daily Mail.
First Officer Lilley was recently engaged and just months… pic.twitter.com/2HwhzbCMuL
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 30, 2025
Who are Jonathan Campos and Samuel Lilley?
The pilots of the American Airlines plane that tragically crashed over Washington DC on Wednesday were identified as Captain Jonathan Campos and First Officer Samuel Lilley. The Daily Mail revealed their names on Thursday, citing family members. The plane collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter before plummeting into the Potomac River. Sadly, all 60 passengers and four crew members are feared to have perished in the disaster.
Samuel Lilley, 29, was just months away from being promoted to captain, according to an exclusive interview with his father, Timothy Lilley. Timothy, a former Army warrant officer now flying private jets, described his son as being “in the prime of his life.” He shared that Samuel had recently gotten engaged to a “beautiful, wonderful girl,” and the family had been thrilled about her joining them.
At the time of the crash, Timothy was at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Upon seeing the news coverage of the incident, he initially didn’t believe it could involve his son. However, after recognizing the airline, he realized that the crash had claimed his son’s life, as he was familiar with Samuel’s predictable schedule. Samuel had been raised in Savannah, Georgia, by Timothy and his ex-wife, Sheri. He graduated with honors from Georgia Southern University in 2018 and had worked hard to build his career in aviation.
The pilots of Flight 5342 have been identified as Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Sam Lilley, 28 pic.twitter.com/qmO5lJ5Xhp
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Jonathan Campos, originally from New York but raised in Florida, had qualified as a commercial airline pilot in 2017, after attending the Epic Flight Academy, where he also earned his flight instructor certification. His uncle, Hector Campos, spoke warmly of Jonathan’s passion for aviation, noting that his nephew had always been deeply dedicated to the industry.
Crew members killed in the horrifying crash outside Washington DC on Wednesday evening.
Jonathan Campos, 34 Pilot
Samuel Lilley, 29, Pilot
Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder were the m flight attendants identified on board the doomed American Airlines flight pic.twitter.com/voUXDclIZz
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