Fatal Collision Lawsuit: Airlines, Army, and FAA Under Scrutiny

In a significant legal development, the family of one of the victims from the January 29 air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has launched a lawsuit against American Airlines, its subsidiary PSA Airlines, and the U.S. government. The tragic accident between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter resulted in 67 fatalities, marking it as the deadliest U.S. air disaster in over two decades.

The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court, alleges that the airlines manipulated the airport's arrival rate system to accommodate more arrivals per hour, compromising safety margins. It accuses the airlines, Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of failing to prevent what it describes as a 'wholly avoidable tragedy' by not adhering to air traffic safety protocols.

American Airlines maintains that flight safety is of utmost importance and vows to contest allegations of negligence. Meanwhile, in response to a previous close call, the FAA has halted Army helicopter flights around the Pentagon. The FAA and Army were unavailable for immediate comment on the lawsuit.

(With inputs from agencies.)