Family sues FAA, Army, airlines over D.C. midair crash
The widow of Casey Crafton filed a civil lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to hold the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Army, American Airlines and PSA Airlines accountable for the Jan. 29, 2025 midair collision over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The complaint alleges failures including inadequate pilot training and airline procedures, overworked air‑traffic controllers and systemic FAA lapses flagged by the NTSB; the suit represents the first of multiple expected family legal actions and is brought amid ongoing NTSB investigation findings.
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Family of D.C. plane crash victim sues FAA, Army, American Airlines
New information:
- Jan. 29, 2025 collision over Washington, D.C. between an American Airlines regional jet (PSA Airlines Flight 5342) and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter killed 67 people.
- Plaintiff: Rachel Crafton, widow of victim Casey Crafton, filed the lawsuit and represents families of many victims.
- Allegations/reference points: NTSB preliminary findings that the helicopter flew above a 200‑foot limit, only ~75 feet of separation existed on the approach path, a possibly faulty altimeter, FAA ignored patterns of near misses, and controllers were overworked and using minimal separation.