(ASSOCIATED PRESS) — On Wednesday, the family of a victim among the 67 deceased in a collision between an airliner and an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., initiated a lawsuit against the government and airlines. The case accuses them of ignoring warning signs following more than 30 reported near misses in the vicinity.
This initial lawsuit is likely to attract other families seeking to hold accountable the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Army, American Airlines, and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, for the deadliest U.S plane crash since 2001. PSA Airlines was operating Flight 5342, which met its fate on January 29.
The lawsuit says the airlines and government agencies “utterly failed in their responsibilities to the traveling public.”
The FAA did not offer an immediate response, but both the airlines and Army expressed their commitment to supporting the affected families and ensuring flight safety. While the Army refrained from commenting on the lawsuit specifics, American and PSA Airlines defended their conduct and indicated they would contest any claims stating they were at fault for the accident.
“Flight 5342 was executing a standard approach to DCA (Reagan airport) when the Army helicopter — positioned above the documented helicopter route altitude — collided with it,” stated the airlines. “American’s priority has always been the safety of our customers and team members, a commitment with a strong track record.”
The lawsuit was filed by the widow of Casey Crafton from Connecticut, who now faces raising three young children alone. Her legal team also represents most of the families impacted by this tragic event.
At a Wednesday news conference, Crafton’s brother read a statement from his widowed sister-in-law, Rachael Crafton, capturing the family’s profound grief.
“Nearly eight months ago, our lives were shattered in a moment, and the grief has been unimaginable. The future we dreamed about was taken away from us,” Dailey Crafton said.
