‘Systemic negligence’ alleged by airlines, as victims’ families file first suit in DC plane crash

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.”

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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. “… American ran red lights for years by allowing these planes to operate in congested, unsafe conditions.”

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Action will also be brought against the U.S. government, encompassing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army, for systemic failures in oversight, air traffic control and military helicopter procedures.

Attorneys said the FAA failed to provide safe air traffic control and allowed unsafe operational environments, while the Army helicopter crew failed to follow basic “see and avoid” flight principles.

“The helicopter crew’s conduct was inexcusable,” said Brian Alexander, an attorney and former Army aviator. “Air traffic control completely failed in their duty as the lifeguards of our aviation system.”

Before suing the government, families must first file separate Form 95 claims, which attorneys said have already been filed by nearly all the victims’ families.

The Crafton case is expected to serve as a guiding complaint for other victims’ families, which are expected to be consolidated in federal court.

Doug Lane, who lost his wife, Christine, and son, Spencer, in the crash, said more than 120 family members have banded together to “become something both beautiful and powerful.”

“We support each other through birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, weddings—that were planned but never held,” Lane said. “Little League and figure skating seasons that started with missing coaches, missing competitors, and missing parents in the stands.”

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He said the group has also “turned our grief into action.”

“We’ve collaborated with Congress on critical air safety reforms. We’ve secured a much-needed set of oversight investigations into the FAA, and we will not rest until similar investigations are underway into the US Army,” Lane said. “We’ll bring that same level of passion and relentlessness as we seek accountability and change through the legal process.

“Many of us have been asked whether we dread the idea of rehashing the worst days of our lives in court. Our answer today is clear: We’re ready. … We are here to see this process through, however long it takes, to ensure that our family members have a lasting legacy that makes the world safer for everyone who flies.”

The lawsuit is seeking both monetary damages and congressional air safety reforms.