KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:00:20
The wrongful death suit alleges American Airlines, the FAA and US Army, quote, "utterly failed in their responsibilities to the traveling public." Casey Crafton died in the January midair collision. His wife is now suing. His brother Daly spoke Wednesday. Casey was betrayed by the system he trusted. We all were.
KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:00:39
67 people died when an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided in Washington, DC. The crash of American Eagle 5342 was predictable. It was preventable.
KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:00:54
While the crash investigation is ongoing, the National Transportation Safety Board has found air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport were doing multiple jobs that night. The Army helicopter was flying higher than it was supposed to, while several of the tower's radio messages were not fully received by that crew. And similar close calls had become common, but went unaddressed before the crash. The lawsuit also claims American Airlines manipulated and abused the system at DCA to maximize arrivals at busy times of day. It was just a situation that was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.
KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:01:29
Doug Lane told reporters Wednesday, he's ready to go to court. Lane's 16-year-old son, Spencer, and his wife, Christine, were killed in the crash.
DOUG LANE:
00:01:37
We went from a family-of-four to a family-of-two kind of in a blink of an eye.
KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:01:40
American Airlines tells CBS News, it has a strong track record of putting the safety of our customers and team members above everything else. Adding, it will defend against claims the airline caused or contributed to this accident. The Department of Justice would ultimately defend the US government in court, saying it will pursue just resolution of this matter that provides fair compensation to the victims of this tragedy. Many more lawsuits are expected to be filed. For CBSMornings, I'm Kris Van Cleave.
