The household of a passenger who died within the midair collision close to Washington, D.C., filed authorized claims towards the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and america Military, looking for $250 million in compensation for every declare.
The filings are doubtless the start of a prolonged authorized battle stemming from the deadliest aviation incident within the U.S. during the last quarter century, killing all 64 aboard the American Airways passenger jet and three servicemembers within the Blackhawk helicopter on Jan. 29.
“This was a catastrophe ready to occur, and it simply so occurred that exact night time. The whole lot got here collectively to create this preventable tragedy,” mentioned Robert Clifford, a lawyer representing the household of Casey Crafton. “We wish to unravel it, and this will get us going.”
Crafton was on board the American Airways regional jet coming back from a enterprise journey to his residence in Salem, Connecticut, the place he lived together with his spouse, Rachel, and his three younger sons. Crafton labored as a technical assist supervisor for an aviation consulting agency after finding out aviation administration at Bob Jones College.
“Casey was an unbelievable human being. He was a giver. He was a loving husband and father. He loved teaching his boys on their youth soccer and little league baseball groups. They are going to be grieving him for the remainder of their lives that may by no means be the identical,” Clifford mentioned.
Clifford Legislation Workplaces filed two kinds yesterday required underneath the Federal Tort Claims Act to carry claims towards each the FAA and Military, looking for $250 million for every declare. Every declare was filed on behalf of Rachel Crafton, Casey’s spouse.
A crane lifts a chunk of American Airways flight 5342 from the Potomac River throughout restoration efforts in Arlington, Va., Feb. 03, 2025.
Win McNamee/Getty Photos
Clifford described the $250 million quantity as a ceiling for the declare made “out of an abundance of warning.”
“You may all the time go down, you can’t go up. And in case you take a look at, you realize, wrongful dying claims throughout the nation, it is not exceptional to have a quantity that top,” he instructed ABC Information. “You are speaking a few father of three kids and a loving spouse. It is a substantial declare.”
The agency has not filed claims towards American Airways, PSA Airways, Sikorsky Plane or Collins Aerospace — although it despatched preservation letters to every — as they await extra details about the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) investigation, in accordance with the agency’s press launch.
Individually, Clifford Legislation mentioned it has begun an “investigation into potential claims of willful neglect” by airways working within the airspace close to Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport, the place the crash occurred.
The NTSB — which is main the investigation– has not but recognized a trigger for the collision.
Clifford, who described the incident as “preventable,” alleged that the airways that fly out and in of Washington, D.C., didn’t take “enough precautions to guard its passengers.”
With the pre-case declare towards the FAA and Military filed, every entity has six months to reply; after six months with no response or if the claims are rejected, Clifford Legislation may file lawsuits in federal court docket.
Spokespeople for the FAA and Military declined to touch upon potential litigation.
“Out of respect for the deceased, their households, and the continued investigation, it’s inappropriate for the Military to touch upon any hypothesis relating to claims or potential litigation,” Military spokesperson Maj. Montrell Russell mentioned. “Our main focus is on supporting the households and making certain the security of our Troopers and the general public.”
