Attorneys claim crash was ‚predictable and preventable‘ due to unsafe operations at Reagan airport.
The family of Casey Crafton has filed the first lawsuit over the American Eagle Flight 5342 crash in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., alleging the disaster was avoidable and caused by systemic negligence.
The Jan. 29 crash involved an Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided midair with an American Airlines passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport, killing 64 people on the American Eagle flight and three aboard the military helicopter.
The federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of Casey Crafton’s estate, with his wife Rachel and family leading the legal action.
“Our lives were shattered in a moment,” said Dailey Crafton, Crafton’s brother. “Casey was betrayed by systemic disregard for safety. We cannot stand by and allow his life to be lost in vain.”
The lawsuit accuses American Airlines and PSA Airlines of negligence in operations, training, and knowingly allowing dangerous conditions at DCA, noting the crash was predictable and preventable.
American Airlines allegedly ignored repeated near misses and congestion data, prioritizing profit over safety, according to attorneys.
“The crash of American Eagle 5342 was predictable, preventable, and caused the needless loss of 67 lives,” said attorney Robert Clifford.
