The family of a Salem man who was killed when a U.S. Army helicopter collided with a passenger plane he was on in Washington, D.C. last month has filed a $250 million claim against the federal agencies involved.
According to Robert A. Clifford, who is representing the widow and children of Casey Crafton, the family is seeking compensation from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army for their loss.
The mid-air collision happened on Jan. 29 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and involved a Black Hawk Helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342. The remains of the 67 people killed in the crash were recovered from the Potomac River.
Crafton was a husband of 16 years and a father of three sons. He was a coach for the Montville Youth Soccer Club, a member of Salem Little League and a member of the town’s recreation commission.
Clifford said the claim, a form 95, was filed with the FAA and the U.S. Army on Tuesday and are often the precursor to a lawsuit against a government entity. It said the agencies may be responsible for the collision, noting the National Transportation Safety Board has reported that staffing in the tower of air traffic controllers was “not normal” at the time.
“The government now has six months to act upon the claims, and if rejected or not acted upon within that time, plaintiffs have the right in the next two years to file lawsuits in federal district court that would be heard by a judge,” he said. “Jury trials are not allowed in civil wrongful death actions against the government.”
The night of the crash, the jet had departed from Wichita, Kansas, earlier that evening and was on approach to Ronald Reagan Airport when it collided with the military helicopter on a training mission. The crash was the deadliest air disaster in the U.S. since 2001.
Clifford said Cration was “an incredible human being,” calling him a giver and a loving husband and father. He said the Salem man studied aviation management at Bob Jones University, where he met his wife, Rachel.
“He enjoyed coaching his boys on their youth soccer and little league baseball teams,” he said. “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.”
Clifford said Crafton was returning from Wichita on a business trip, as he was working as a technical support manager at Guardian Jet, an aviation consulting firm based in Guilford.
Crafton was among five people with ties to Connecticut who were passengers on the plane. Stamford resident Chris Collins, New Britain native Justyna Beyer and her daughter, Brielle, as well as a couple from the figure skating community who lived and worked in Connecticut, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also killed in the crash.
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