By Mike Scarcella

(Reuters) -A federal judge on Tuesday set an April 2027 trial date for lawsuits over the collision this year between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington set the date at a hearing with lawyers for victims and defendants including American Airlines and the U.S. government.

“We are not going to dishonor the people who lost their lives, their family and friends, and we are not going to dishonor the employees of the defendants who work hard to ensure safety by dragging this thing along,” Reyes said at the hearing.

American Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment

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