Family of father who died in DC plane crash begin $250,000,000 proceedings against the government
Topics: US News, Travel, American Airlines
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: GoFundMe
Topics: US News, Travel, American Airlines
The family of a father who died in the devastating Washington DC plane crash have pre-filed a $250 million claim against the government.
An American Airlines plane was coming to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport on January 29 when it collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter.
All 64 passengers on the plane died along with the three people on the helicopter.
Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River and a massive search got underway to check for survivors before it turned into a body recovery mission.
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An investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
A claim has since been filed against the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Army by Clifford Law Offices on behalf of the family of Casey Crafton.
For those unaware, a pre-case claim is often filed before court proceedings take place in the effort of avoiding the dispute heading to court.
The 40-year-old was one of 64 killed aboard the American Airlines plane, with the firm stating the governmental agencies have six months to reply to the claims.
Attorney Bob Clifford, who is representing the family, said: "Casey was an incredible human being. He was a giver, 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.
"This crash involves complex matters, and the family deserves answers as to what happened to their loved one."
Crafton, from Salem, Connecticut, had three sons with his wife of 16 years, Rachel.
The 40-year-old had been on a business trip and had a layover in Washington.
On Friday (February 14), National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy gave an update into the investigation taking place.
According to an ABC News report, the helicopter crew may have had bad information on their altitude before it was struck by the commercial aircraft.
One of the pilots reportedly thought they were at 400 feet and the other thought they were at 300 feet.
At this stage, the NTSB is not yet prepared to say at what exact altitude the helicopter was at during the crash.
"We are looking at the possibility of there may be bad data," Homendy said.
In addition, a transmission to the helicopter warning them of the nearby plane 'may not have been received by the Black Hawk crew'.