Regional airliner bestows posthumous honors on crew killed in DC crash

The four airline crew members killed in the midair collision with a military helicopter last month in Washington, D.C., are receiving posthumous awards in their honor, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) announced on Sunday.

PSA Airlines, the regional airline part of American Airlines Group, said it is bestowing the PSA Honorary President’s Award on Captain Jonathan Campos, First Officer Samuel Lilley and flight attendants Danasia Elder and Ian Epstein.

“The President’s Award is the highest honor a PSA team member can receive, and it represents the very best of our airline,” the airline said in a press release Sunday.

“It is a peer-nominated honor and based on the company-wide outpouring of support for our lost colleagues, we cannot think of a more moving or sincere tribute than having all 5,000 PSA team members nominate our fallen colleagues,” the statement continued.

The airline said it decided on the move after “speaking with our fallen crew members’ loved ones about ways PSA can pay tribute to and honor them.”

The family members of each crew member will receive a commemorative certificate recognizing the award.

The regional airliner also announced it is posthumously upgrading Lilley’s status from first officer to honorary captain.

“Throughout his tenure at PSA Airlines, Samuel Lilley exemplified the highest standards of aviation excellence, demonstrating exceptional airmanship, unwavering dedication to safety, and extraordinary professionalism that inspired all who had the privilege of flying alongside him,” the airline wrote in a statement.

“The title of Honorary Captain reflects not only his technical expertise but also the profound impact he had on our airline family,” the statement continued. “His legacy will forever serve as a beacon of inspiration, reminding us of the dedication, skill, and integrity that define the very best in our profession.”

On Jan. 29, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter with three crew aboard collided with an American Airlines regional passenger jet with 60 passengers and four crew members. Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River, killing all 67.

The Federal Aviation Administration said after the crash that, until March 31, helicopters and airplanes would not be permitted to share air space over the Potomac near the busy Reagan Washington National Airport. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are trying to determine whether the Black Hawk was too high at the time of the crash, among other factors.

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