PSA Airlines has posthumously promoted First Officer Samuel Lilley to Honorary Captain, the highest title a pilot can receive at the airline. Lilley, a Richmond Hill, Georgia native, was among four crew members who died in the crash of Flight 5342.

Who Made it Happen: PSA Airlines leadership made the decision after discussions with the families of the fallen crew members. Lilley, along with his fellow crew members, was also awarded the PSA Honorary President’s Award, the airline’s top employee recognition. The award is normally peer-nominated, but this time, PSA’s entire workforce of 5,000 employees supported the honor.

Georgia Roots: Lilley was a 2015 graduate of Richmond Hill High School and later earned his degree from Georgia Southern University in 2018. He had been a First Officer with PSA Airlines for two years and was engaged to be married.

Memorial and Tribute: Lilley’s body was returned to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, where he was honored with a water cannon salute. His public memorial service is scheduled for February 15 at Georgia Southern’s Armstrong campus in Savannah.

What’s Next: PSA will present commemorative certificates to Lilley’s family, recognizing his Honorary Captain status and Honorary President’s Award.

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B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.