The household of one of many 67 folks killed earlier this 12 months when an American Airways airplane and a United States Military helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit on Wednesday towards the federal government and the airways concerned within the crash.
Different households are anticipated to hitch this primary lawsuit that seeks to carry the Federal Aviation Administration, the Military, American Airways and its regional associate, PSA Airways, accountable for the deadliest U.S. airplane crash since 2001. PSA Airways operated Flight 5342 that crashed Jan. 29.
The widow of Casey Crafton from Connecticut, who’s elevating three younger boys with out her husband, filed the lawsuit. Her attorneys additionally symbolize the vast majority of the households of people that died within the crash.
“Casey was a devoted father and husband, and we built a beautiful life together,” mentioned Rachel Crafton in a press release concerning the lawsuit, wherein she described her husband as “a loving brother, a supportive son, a committed employee, a selfless friend” and somebody who “made everyone around him feel valued and respected.”
As her husband had labored as an aviation mechanic, Crafton mentioned he “was betrayed by this system he trusted” when Flight 5342 crashed.
“As his wife, I cannot stand by and allow his life to be lost in vain,” the assertion continued. “Today, we are taking legal action because the accountability of American Airlines, PSA Airlines, and the Army and FAA is the only way to ensure this never happens again and no other family has to live with the pain we have to endure each day without Casey.”
Crosses are seen at a makeshift memorial for the victims of the airplane crash close to Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia.
Jose Luis Magana / AP
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board has already highlighted an extended listing of issues that seemingly contributed to the crash, though the ultimate report figuring out the trigger received’t be prepared till subsequent 12 months.
The Black Hawk helicopter was flying properly above the 200-foot restrict, however even when it had been on the appropriate altitude, the route it was flying supplied a scant 75 toes of separation between helicopters and planes touchdown on Ronald Reagan Worldwide Airport’s secondary runway. The helicopter’s altimeter could have supplied defective readings.
The NTSB has additionally mentioned the FAA failed to acknowledge an alarming sample of close to misses on the busy airport within the years earlier than the crash and ignored issues about helicopter visitors across the airport. Investigators additionally mentioned that overworked controllers have been making an attempt to squeeze as many planes as potential into the touchdown sample with minimal separation frequently. If any of these issues — or a variety of different components — had been totally different that night time, the collision might need been prevented.
Crews pull up part of a airplane from the Potomac River on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia.
Jose Luis Magana / AP
The lawsuit says the airways failed of their obligation to guard the passengers as a result of they have been conscious of the helicopter visitors round Reagan airport however didn’t adequately practice pilots to deal with it and take different steps to mitigate the dangers. Different airline insurance policies, comparable to permitting pilots to just accept another runway that intersects with the helicopter route and closely scheduling flights within the second half of each hour could have contributed.
The lawsuit says the PSA pilots ought to have reacted sooner after they obtained an alert about visitors within the space 19 seconds earlier than the crash as an alternative of ready till the final second to tug up.
Among the many jet’s passengers have been a number of members of the Skating Membership of Boston, who have been coming back from an elite junior skaters’ camp following the 2025 U.S. Determine Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. A determine skating tribute occasion in Washington raised $1.2 million for the crash victims’ households.
Others on the flight from Wichita included a bunch of hunters coming back from a guided journey in Kansas; 4 members of a steamfitters’ union in suburban Maryland; 9 college students and oldsters from colleges in Fairfax County, Virginia; and two Chinese language nationals. There have been additionally 4 crew members on the airplane and three folks within the helicopter’s crew who have been killed.
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