03/26/2025
The family of Dustin Miller, a former Arizona resident killed in the tragic midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter in January 2025, has retained the law firm Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis LLP to pursue legal action against the United States Army and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Miller, one of the passengers aboard the commercial flight, was among multiple victims who lost their lives when the American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter operating in controlled airspace. The crash has raised serious questions about communication failures and coordination between civilian and military aircraft.
The Miller family is demanding accountability from the agencies responsible for maintaining the safety of U.S. airspace. “We won’t rest until we have answers,” said Kristen Miller-Zahn, Dustin’s sister. “There has to be accountability.”
The lawsuit will focus on alleged failures by both the FAA and the U.S. Army, including breakdowns in air traffic control, operational oversight, adherence to flight safety protocols and the startling inaction of the FAA despite over 15,000 reported near misses between planes and helicopters near the Washington DC airport over the last 4 years.
Robert A. Curtis, lead trial attorney at Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis LLP, said:
“This was a preventable tragedy. Civilian and military aircraft should never come close to one another, let alone collide. The Miller family deserves the truth, and we intend to find it.”
The firm, known for its work on high-profile wrongful death cases, has launched an independent investigation into the circumstances of the crash, including near-miss reports, communication records, and procedural compliance.
