The pilots and flight attendants have been identified in the tragic Washington D.C. plane crash that killed more than 50 on Wednesday.
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American Eagle Flight 5342 was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to D.C.’s Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night. The plane had almost reached the runway when, around 9 p.m. ET, it collided with an Army helicopter in midair. Both aircrafts plummeted into the freezing waters of the Potomac River. Rescue efforts were soon updated to recovery, with no survivors expected.
The American Airlines flight was carrying 60 passengers — many of whom were U.S. figure skaters and coaches returning from a skating camp in Wichita — and four crew members.
TMZ reported Thursday that Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Sam Lilley, 28, were flying the plane, alongside flight attendants Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder. The military helicopter had three people aboard.
First Officer Sam Lilley, Who Died in the Crash, Was Newly Engaged and Close to Being Promoted to Captain
Lilley’s father, Timothy, confirmed his son’s death to FOX 5 Atlanta, adding that his son was newly engaged. The first officer was following in his father’s career footsteps and was close to being promoted to captain.
“This is undoubtedly the worst day of my life,” Timothy told the local outlet.
“From what I can see, [the helicopter pilots] turned right into the jet,” added the former Army helicopter pilot. “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.”
President Donald Trump offered his first public comments on the crash on Thursday. In his remarks, he placed blame for the crash on former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system. I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary,” Trump said. The newly returned Commander in Chief issued a federal hiring freeze when he took office on Jan. 20, as at the time of the crash, there was no Senate-confirmed administrator leading the Federal Aviation Administration.
“I put safety first, Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first, and they put politics at a level that nobody’s ever seen because this was the lowest level,” Trump continued. “Their policy was horrible, and their politics was even worse.”
The president also continued to place blame on DEI initiatives, claiming a “diversity push” led to a shortage of air traffic control workers.