News and notes from around the interweb:
- Oh, come on. The federal government was primarily responsible for this. The Black Hawk helicopter shouldn’t have been in the approach path. Maybe you want to apportion some blame to the air traffic control system. But scheduling flights to DC is not negligent. Meanwhile, American’s response to the tragedy has been genuinely exemplary.
The Defendants knew, or should have known, that AE 5342 was transiting one of the busiest airspaces in the United States, and they knew, or should have known, that the airport approaches presented certain safety risks, specifically including the possibility of a midair collision
The legal theory here would suggest New York airspace is too dangerous for commercial flight, and New York LaGuardia has short runways, water at both ends, and heavy traffic density! And what about Dutch Harbor, Alaska or Aspen?
The family of a man killed in January’s midair collision near Washington, DC, is suing American Airlines, regional jet operator PSA Airlines, and the federal government, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Rachel Crafton, whose husband Casey was on the passenger plane, filed… pic.twitter.com/LziPR0xRzx
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) September 24, 2025
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- American Airlines fails to get injunction against Chicago O’Hare gate re-allocation. I believe their case is strong on the merits but an injunction didn’t make sense – the harms from proceeding are not irreparable, and they aren’t uncompensable. Re-allocated gates can be… re-allocated. And harms can be compensated. The bar for an injunction here was pretty high. The case goes to trial next month.
- Lufthansa’s Project Fox to fix its emotionless premium product included concepts like upgraded caviar, tailored stemware and boarding straight from your driveway. It’s now coming to fruition. The ‘Future Onboard eXperience’ is so far fairly non-specific but the sentiment seems right.
- Massive Sinkhole Opens Up in Middle of Busy Bangkok Street
Bangkok this morning pic.twitter.com/JRPcDga70N
— naiive (@naiivememe) September 24, 2025
- Dallas McKinney airport expects to start offering commercial service this year and will get a customs facility to enable international flights.
Credit: McKinney Airport - United will put newer aircraft with updated interiors into Guam. I’d love to know what’s behind this – perhaps just a desire for fewer remote maintenance issues, but higher-cost aircraft vs. depreciated birds usually go to more premium destinations. So perhaps the newer intra-Asia services are doing quite well, and perhaps we’ll see more of them?
These will be 16/150 and will undoubtedly have Starlink pretty quickly, which will be pretty darn nice.
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) September 24, 2025 at 6:25 PM
actually….. let me retract that part about having starlink pretty quickly– not so sure about that.
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) September 24, 2025 at 10:30 PM
- Delta is partnering with YouTube to push YouTube Premium subscriptions and feature YouTube content onboard. It is likely no coincidence that American Express is also partnering with YouTube with its Digital Entertainment Credit for Platinum.
I’m with you, Gary, but, also, I hope the victims succeed one way, or another. No, it won’t bring back their relatives, but it helps them with recovery.
To be clear, the US government absolutely should compensate these victims families. However, in these cases, plaintiffs pretty much have to sue everyone to start, including the airline, on whatever basis, because they may have a portion of the blame, even if small, then airline can recover from the government. Deep and deeper pockets. Wish we wouldn’t delay or deny the victims their closure, though.
Regarding McKinney National Airport, call me dubious, I find it very hard to believe that they will siphon off anywhere near 1 out every 8 passengers currently using DFW or DAL. It’s at the extreme edge of the Metroplex, 35 miles North-East of DFW, and nowhere near as close as DAL is for those looking for a budget option to DFW (that would be DAL). In rush hour, it would be about an hour to/from DFW, and $ 3-figures each way by Uber. The Dallas Morning News Article that Gary kindly linked breathlessly said this: “International arrivals at McKinney have spiked more than 40%”. The data behind that figure ? Traffic “increased from 127 in 2023 to [an expected] 180 by the end of this fiscal year”. That tells you all that you need to know.
I get that families are hurt and want someone’s pound of flesh. But it’s not on AA. My assumption is that AA will settle and some seedy lawyer knows that.
Holy cow Gary, that was some video. A flowing water pipe isn’t going to help stabilize things either.
Whatever happens, I hope the families can find peace and closure one way or another. Sometimes I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a year yet. Still surreal, still harrowing.
@1990: The name of the game is to find someone with deep pockets that you can somehow pin a sliver of blame on and then collect the whole judgment from. The airline isn’t going to be able to collect from the government any more than the family can.
@Loren — Well then… seeing as our current government is a bunch of incompetent sycophants… hopefully, at the very least, these victims families can get paid. Regardless of our broader troubles, that specific and tangible result still matters to them. They aren’t scammers or grifters.
Personal injury attorneys and cock roaches. Both disgusting creatures.
@TexasTJ: Is McKinney likely to siphon off 1/8 of the passengers of DFW or DAL? Unlikely, but then, they aren’t going to have 1/8 as many flights as DFW or DAL.
True, most passengers from Dallas or Fort Worth won’t want to fly out of McKinney. But McKinney might not need them. Collin County, where McKinney is located, has over a million people. In fact, the city of McKinney alone has over 200,000 people. I can imagine that the airport could support a few flights a day.
@George Romey
Ben Crump in the aviation law business now? Too many ambulance chasers in this country. Scum bag lawyer throwing darts and hoping one will land.
One of fastest growing areas in North Texas is north of McKinney, all the way to the Texas border. I could see this airport attracting people in Oklahoma, providing they could get where they were going conveniently. If United or Delta offered hub service, it would provide a convenient one-stop service to international destinations.
Some of the fast growing cities include Anna, Celina, and Melissa, and following US 75 north. I can see the area growing up to support an airport.
@Coffee Please — Ben’s clients don’t seem upset by his advocacy; if he’s winning for then, that’s still winning.
(Was beginning to worry a little; hadn’t seen you around for a while. Glad you’re back!)
The Bangkok sinkhole illustrates why subway building encounters cost overruns. When a subway line was being built under Hollywood years ago, the dig collapsed and buildings almost fell in.
Being in the airline business and working with aircraft and pilots, those two pilots didn’t have a clue as to what was about to happen until about 1 second prior to impact. Some dirt bag lawyer is looking for “deep pockets”. We’re all basing our thoughts on what the news media has given us. However, it appears that the pilots were doing exactly as the visual, circle to land approach required. It was the Army that dorked this up.
@Win Whitmire — More likely a combination of the military and ATC; therefore, (once again) the government really should pay up here, but, since… *gestures broadly* …the current administration don’t really care about people much (except themselves), I doubt they’ll ‘do the right thing’ here.
@Win Whitmire
You are absolutely correct on this.
@1990
I have been reading but just not posting. Of course I always read your stuff. We might not agree but I do appreciate your input.
You are right, in my opinion, regarding the US Government’s responsibility. However, in a case like this, it’s customary to cover all the bases and sue all involved parties to ensure that all potential liabilities are addressed.
Two-bit ambulance chasing lawyers circling like the vultures that are looking for a personal notoriety and a big pay day for them and their lecherous law firms. The utter illogical stupidity of the basis of the action is not only laughable but reprehensible. Hopefully, the judge will throw this right back in their faces, but if it gets to jury, they will go after the deep pockets business regardless of their total capacity in this whole tragic event.
An airport in McKinney will open up a new opportunity for some of the ULCCs looking to be in proximity to Dallas but not at DFW. Key will be whether DL, UA, WN, and AS decide to start flying there. We shall see. Not many new secondary airports in the US doing well, except maybe Everett Payne Field.