Connecticut husband, father, coach Casey Crafton killed in Wichita flight crash
Casey Crafton, a father and volunteer youth sports coach, was among those killed in Wednesday night’s plane crash while flying back from Wichita to Washington D.C. on American Airlines flight 5342.
Crafton lived with his family in Salem, Connecticut. He grew up near Memphis, Tennessee, and studied aviation management at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, where he met his wife, Rachel. Both graduated in 2008.
“Our hearts are grieving with the Crafton-Gadbois families as they mourn Casey’s earthly passing,” Bob Jones University president Josh Crockett said in a statement Friday.
Along with Rachel, Crafton is survived by his sons Greyson, Easton and Knox.
A devoted parent to his boys, Crafton worked as a technical support manager at Guardian Jet, an aviation consulting firm, according to LinkedIn.
“He was a dedicated husband and father,” Cindy Clouther, a friend of the Crafton-Gadbois family, wrote on social media Friday. “He would do anything for anyone in need.”
Crafton spent his free time coaching youth soccer at the Montville Youth Soccer Club, as well as Little League baseball. At the time of his death,
“(Casey)was a valued volunteer with Montville Youth Soccer who helped to enrich the lives of all those that he came in contact with,” club staff shared on social media after the crash.
In a statement shared on social media, Connecticut state senator Martha Marx referred to Crafton’s death as an “unimaginable” heartbreak within the Salem community.
“I ask our community to keep them in your prayers as [relatives and friends] navigate this profound loss,” Marx wrote.
“My heart is breaking for Rachel and her boys right now,” Stacy Peterson Connor, a friend of the Crafton-Gadbois family, wrote on social media.
Funeral services for Crafton will take place on February 11. Fundraisers on GoFundMe and Meal Train benefiting the Crafton-Gadbois family raised about $23,000 and $93,500, respectively, as of Friday evening.
This story was originally published February 1, 2025 at 11:03 AM.
