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The first federal lawsuit has been filed by the family of a passenger killed in January’s midair collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle Flight 5342 while on approach at Reagan Washington National Airport.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Earlier this year, American Eagle Flight 5342 collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter while on final approach to Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in the deaths of all 67 people aboard both aircraft. According to preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Black Hawk was flying well above its designated altitude (between 80 and 100 feet higher than what its instruments indicated), placing it in direct conflict with the jet’s flight path. The NTSB has also highlighted other contributing factors, including limited vertical separation between aircraft using intersecting approach routes, overworked air traffic controllers, and a history of near-miss incidents in the area that had not been adequately addressed. While the agency has not yet issued a final report, it has signaled that these all likely contributed to the deadliest US aviation accident in over two decades.

What’s going on now: The widow of Casey Crafton, a passenger killed in the crash, has filed the first federal lawsuit in connection with the disaster. The suit, brought by Rachel Crafton in US District Court for the District of Columbia, names American Airlines, its regional partner PSA Airlines, the US Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as defendants. It alleges wrongful death, negligence, and systemic failure, claiming all four entities “utterly failed in their responsibilities to the travelling public.” Crafton’s legal team argues that these organizations either ignored or failed to act on long-standing safety risks in the airspace around Reagan National Airport.

The 115-page complaint outlines multiple failures, including the Army helicopter flying too high, air traffic controllers not issuing timely warnings, and the airlines’ decisions that placed the aircraft in harm’s way. It also criticizes the FAA for not correcting known safety hazards, such as the practice of directing incoming flights to Runway 33 (a more challenging approach).

“Casey was betrayed by this system he trusted,” Rachel Crafton said in a statement through her attorney. “We are taking legal action because the accountability of American Airlines, PSA Airlines, and the Army and FAA is the only way to ensure this never happens again and no other family has to live with the pain we have to endure each day without Casey.”

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages for both economic and non-economic losses, including wrongful death, survival claims, funeral costs, and attorneys’ fees.