{"id":2404258,"date":"2025-02-19T13:28:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T18:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/family-of-dc-crash-victim-files-first-step-in-lawsuit-against-military\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T13:29:48","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T18:29:48","slug":"family-of-dc-crash-victim-files-first-step-in-lawsuit-against-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/family-of-dc-crash-victim-files-first-step-in-lawsuit-against-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Family of DC crash victim files first step in lawsuit against military"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffamily-of-dc-crash-victim-files-first-step-in-lawsuit-against-military%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2404258&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The family of a victim who died in a midair collision between an army helicopter and an American Airlines flight has taken initial legal steps towards a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Management\u200b (FAA) and the Army, claiming $250 million in damages. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-teenage-boy-allegedly-kills-9-in-school-shooting-in-serbia\/\" title=\"Teen boy reportedly kills 9 in Serbia school shooting.\">tragic incident occurred<\/a> on January 29, resulting in the deaths of all 64 passengers on the\u2063 American Airlines flight and three crew members on the helicopter during its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-state-media-threaten-military-measures-over-us-recognition-of-taiwan\/\" title=\"Chinese State Media Threaten \u2018Military Measures\u2019 Over US Recognition of Taiwan\">routine training mission<\/a>. The family&#8217;s attorney, Robert Clifford, is\u2064 seeking answers and preserving\u200b all relevant\u2064 documents\u2064 from involved parties, including American Airlines and aircraft manufacturers. Additionally,\u2062 he is taking a cautious approach regarding potential\u200b litigation against other entities, \u200cpending the findings of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),\u200c expected to release a preliminary report\u200d soon. Investigations are underway to explore whether the\u2062 Army\u200d helicopter had incorrect altitude data and if it complied with air traffic control instructions prior to the collision, marking this as the deadliest commercial aviation crash in the U.S.since 2009.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Family of DC plane crash victim files first step toward lawsuit against FAA and Army<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1963765\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The first steps toward a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lawsuits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"lawsuit\">lawsuit<\/a> were filed Tuesday by the family of a victim of the deadly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3310676\/all-victims-potomac-river-plane-crash-recovered\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"lawsuit\">midair collision<\/a> between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight last month in Washington.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Claims were filed against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-aviation-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Federal Aviation Administration\">Federal Aviation Administration<\/a> and the Army for $250 million in damages by an attorney for the family of Casey Crafton, who was killed in the incident. Both agencies have six months to act on the claims, which could lead to a lawsuit if the claims are rejected or not acted upon.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This crash involves complex matters, and the family deserves answers as to what happened to their loved one,&rdquo; Robert Clifford, an attorney for the family, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Clifford also sent letters calling for the preservation of all documents related to the midair collision to American Airlines; PSA Airlines, the wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines that operated the flight; Sikorsky Aircraft; and Collins Aerospace.<\/p>\n<p>The attorney said he is &ldquo;taking a cautionary approach&rdquo; toward possible litigation against other entities, including American Airlines, pending the release of the National Transportation Safety Board&rsquo;s preliminary report. The NTSB&rsquo;s report is typically released within 30 days of an incident, meaning it will likely be released by the end of this month.<\/p>\n<p>The collision on the night of Jan. 29 killed all 64 people on board the American Airlines flight moments before it was set to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and all three people on board an Army helicopter as it was on a routine training mission.<\/p>\n<p>At a press briefing Friday, NTSB officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/3321194\/ntsb-bad-data-leading-potomac-plane-crash-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"said\">said<\/a> they were examining the possibility that the Army helicopter had &ldquo;bad data&rdquo; and that there may have been a difference between the helicopter&rsquo;s actual altitude and the altimeters in the Black Hawk helicopter.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The radio altitude of the helicopter when it collided with the American Airlines flight was 278 feet, above the maximum 200 feet helicopters are permitted to be at on the route they were flying over the Potomac River. An official also said the helicopter may not have heard instructions from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/search-and-rescue-teams-at-site-of-indonesian-plane-crash\/\" title=\"Search and rescue teams at site of Indonesian plane crash\">air traffic controller<\/a> to pass behind the American Airlines plane.<\/p>\n<p>The incident was the first <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">deadly commercial aviation crash<\/a> in the United States since 2009, and the deadliest such incident domestically since November 2001.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1963765\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1963765\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Family of DC plane crash victim initiates lawsuit against FAA and Army<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2404259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-airlines-crash-claims-filed.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[49561,4585,4505],"class_list":["post-2404258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-dc-crash","tag-lawsuit","tag-military"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-airlines-crash-claims-filed.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2404258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2404258"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2404258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2404262,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2404258\/revisions\/2404262"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2404259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2404258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2404258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2404258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}