Overview

• Rachel Crafton filed a wrongful-death suit in Washington federal court against the FAA, the U.S. Army, American Airlines and PSA Airlines over the Jan. 29 collision that killed 67.
• Attorneys said additional families are expected to join, and relatives announced the action at a National Press Club news conference.
• The complaint alleges the airlines failed to adequately train crews for known helicopter traffic, used risky scheduling, and accepted an intersecting runway, while PSA pilots reacted late to a traffic alert 19 seconds before impact.
• NTSB findings to date indicate the Army Black Hawk flew above its 200-foot route limit, its altimeter likely read low as flight data showed it 80–100 feet higher, and airport procedures left only about 75 feet of vertical buffer.
• American Airlines said the jet was on a routine approach when the helicopter, above its published route altitude, struck it, and the company pledged to defend against claims while continuing to support the NTSB investigation.