Family of 'Incredible' Father of 3 Who Died in D.C. Plane Crash Files $250M Claims Against the FAA and Army

Mar. 15, 2025

The Crafton family, left, and the wreckage from the Washington D.C. crash that killed the dad of the family, right.Photo:Clifford Law Offices; Tasos Katopodis/Getty

Clifford Law Offices; Tasos Katopodis/Getty

Family members of a dad who died in themidair plane crash in Washington D.C.have filed claims against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army.

Casey was one of 67 people who died when American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 29, the law office said.

The dad, who previously studied aviation management at Bob Jones University, was returning from a business trip in Wichita when the crash occurred. He worked as a technical support manager at the aviation consulting firm Guardian Jet.

Casey left behind his wife Rachel, whom he was married to for 16 years, and three young sons, according to Clifford Law Offices.

The Crafton family.Clifford Law Offices

Clifford Law Offices

Lawyers for Casey’s family filed two forms required under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) against the FAA and the Army, and is seeking $250 million for each claim, according to the press release. The U.S. government “has six months to act upon the claims," the release also stated.

“Casey was an incredible human being,” lawyer Robert A. Clifford shared in a statement. “He was a giver. He was a loving husband and father. He enjoyed coaching his boys on their youth soccer and little league baseball teams. They will be grieving him for the rest of their lives that will never be the same.

He added, “This crash involves complex matters, and the family deserves answers as to what happened to their loved one.”

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Speaking withABC News, Clifford said the crash was “preventable” and claimed airlines flying in and out of D.C. did not take “sufficient precautions to protect its passengers."

“This was a disaster waiting to happen, and it just so happened that particular night,” Clifford explained, adding, “We want to get to the bottom of it, and this gets us going.”

The FAA told PEOPLE in a statement that it “does not comment on potential litigation matters.”

Clifford Law Office and the Army did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Emergency vehicles and rescue crews gather along the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. after an air crash on Jan. 29, 2025.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

Clifford has sent letters to American Airlines, its regional carrier PSA, Sikorsky Aircraft and Collins Aerospace seeking “to preserve all evidence in the midair crash of the two aircraft.”

Sikorsky Aircraft manufactured the helicopter involved in the collision, according to the law firm.

The Clifford Law Offices press release noted that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) previously reported that “staffing in the tower of air traffic controllers (ATC) was ‘not normal’ at the time of the nighttime collision” and that “communication lapses” occurred between the ATC and the aircraft involved.

source: people.com