Family Of CT Victim Files $250M Legal Claims After Plane Crash: Reports

CONNECTICUT — The family of one of the 67 people killed when a Black Hawk Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport last month has filed $250 million legal claims against the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army, according to reports.

The claims were filed Tuesday on behalf of the widow and three children of Casey Crafton of Connecticut, who was killed in the Jan. 29 crash, ABC News reported.

“This was a disaster waiting to happen, and it just so happened that particular night. Everything came together to create this preventable tragedy,” Robert Clifford, a lawyer representing Crafton’s family, told ABC News. “We want to get to the bottom of it, and this gets us going.”

Crafton was returning to his home in Salem on American Airlines flight 5342 when the plane collided with a helicopter on a training flight. The plane was about to land at Reagan National Airport when the crash occurred, killing everyone on board both aircraft.

According to a WTOP report, the government has six months to act on the claims. After that, the family has two years to file lawsuits in district court.

Additionally, attorneys also sent letters to American Airlines, its regional carrier PSA, as well as Sikorsky Aircraft and Collins Aerospace to preserve all evidence in the crash, WTOP reported.

Last week, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter crew may have missed a key instruction from the air traffic controller in the moments before it collided with the plane.

At one point during the flight before the collision, the helicopter’s pilot called out that the Black Hawk was at 300 feet, but the instructor pilot said the helicopter was at 400 feet.

“At this time we don’t know why there was a discrepancy between the two,” NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.

The NTSB is leading the investigation into the crash between the plane and the helicopter on a training flight. The agency said it anticipates producing a preliminary report within 30 days of the collision.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.