American Airlines Sued by Family of Man Killed in Fatal Crash

American Airlines Group Inc. was sued by the wife of a passenger killed in January when one of its regional jets collided with a military helicopter near Washington, one of the deadliest US air disasters in decades.

Lawyers for Rachel Crafton, the wife of Casey Crafton who was killed in the crash, accuse the airline of failing to implement procedures designed to mitigate the risks of mid-air collisions. They argue that a series of “collective failures” by the airline, and by the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Army resulted in the fatal crash.

The lawsuit, brought in federal court in DC, also names PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, and the US government.

A spokesperson for American Airlines said the company has made it a “priority” to support the families of the passengers and crew members of the crash.

“American has a strong track record of putting the safety of our customers and team members above everything else,” the spokesperson said. “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.

“Casey was betrayed by this system he trusted – we all were,” Crafton said in a statement. “As his wife, I cannot stand by and allow his life to be lost in vain.”

Sixty-seven people were killed in January when American Flight 5342 hit a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas, when it collided with the military helicopter, which was carrying three people participating in a regular training mission.

Footage of the crash circulated widely on social media at the time, showing the two aircraft colliding in the night sky and exploding into a fiery ball before falling into the Potomac River.

The collision was followed by several other aviation mishaps, including crashes and near misses, that resulted in widespread concern among members of the flying public.

The accident also drew intense scrutiny to the congested airspace near Reagan National — a favorite of tourists, lawmakers and power brokers thanks to its close proximity to the US capital. The skies are shared by a mix of commercial aircraft and helicopters operated by law enforcement, the military and for medical emergencies.

Read More: Airlines Confront New Fear of Flying After Spate of Accidents

The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash, but the agency published a preliminary report and safety recommendations in March stressing the need to alter existing helicopter routes in the area.

The FAA adopted those recommendations and permanently restricted non-essential helicopter operations near the airport. It also closed the route the Black Hawk was using the night of the crash.

The case is Crafton vs. American Airlines, Inc., 1:25-cv-03382, US District Court, District of Columbia (Washington, DC).

To contact the reporters on this story:
Madlin Mekelburg in Austin at mmekelburg@bloomberg.net;
Allyson Versprille in Washington at aversprille1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou at megkolfopoul@bloomberg.net

Ryan Beene

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