A federal lawsuit has been filed by the family of one of the 67 people killed in January in a collision between a regional jet and an Army Blackhawk helicopter near Washington’s Reagan National Airport.
The complaint, filed on Wednesday, comes from the estate of Casey Crafton, 40, who was killed in the crash as he returned from a business trip in Kansas related to his work in the aviation industry.
“[M]y young sons and I have to go through life without the love, support, guidance and laughter Casey gave to us on a daily basis,” his widow, Rachel Crafton, said in a statement. “I’m left to raise our sons alone, and these days, weeks, and months have been unbearable as grief weighs heavily over every moment that should be a celebration with Casey.”
The suit is the first federal complaint over the aviation disaster.
It claims the collision, which killed 64 passengers onboard American Eagle Flight 5342, was a “wholly avoidable” tragedy, naming the Army, American Airlines, its subsidiary PSA Airlines, and the Federal Aviation Administration as defendants.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges a series of “collective failures” led to the disaster, including the pilots of both aircraft failing to see and avoid each other; regulators failing to separate the craft and issue timely safety alerts; Army pilots flying above their mandated altitude; and the airline companies having “manipulated and abused” Reagan National’s arrival system to “force in” more landings per hour despite knowing that doing so “severely limited the margins for safety.”
The lawsuit also hones in on the alleged decision to route the incoming flight to a runway air traffic controllers said was “more difficult,” over the reservations of the flight’s first officer.
Tim Lilley, father of the first officer piloting the flight, Sam Lilley, said in a statement to CNN that his family would not be joining the lawsuit.
“Everyone who lost a loved one in the January 29 accident has the right to pursue the path they feel is best,” Lilley said. “We respect those choices while standing united in the shared goal of making sure no family ever suffers through such a preventable tragedy again.”
The Independent has contacted the parties in the lawsuit for comment.
“As the recent NTSB investigative hearing showed, Flight 5342 was on a routine approach to DCA when the Army helicopter — that was above the published helicopter route altitude — collided with it,” American Airlines said in a statement.
“American has a strong track record of putting the safety of our customers and team members above everything else,” it added. “We continue to support the ongoing NTSB investigation and will defend American and PSA Airlines against any legal action claiming the airline caused or contributed to this accident.
The lawsuit follows a months-long push for accountability over the crash.
In July, families tied to the tragedy wrote an open letter accusing the Army of not doing enough to work with them. The letter raised alarm that the military branch’s inspector general didn’t open an audit into the crash, and that the Army didn’t disclose until it was subpoenaed by Congress that the helicopter was flying without a commonly used safety system turned on.
“The Army’s approach contrasts sharply with the more collaborative stance taken by other organizations involved in this incident and raises serious questions about its commitment to transparency and accountability,” the letter read.
In August, the family of another crash victim, Dustin Miller, 43, filed a federal tort claim seeking $200 million in damages.
The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the crash, and it held hearings that month involving members of the FAA and the Army.
In July, Sen. Ted Cruz introduced a bill that would require flights to install more anti-collision technology and require the Army to keep it turned on in most circumstances.
