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united states government I have admitted my mistake Washington DC The plane crash that killed 67 people, and now the families will be compensated.
air collision The collision between a passenger plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River on January 29 this year was an “entirely avoidable tragedy” and was caused by the helicopter pilots’ “failure to maintain vigilance.” Justice Department filing Said to have been made on 17th December.
The DOJ’s petition in federal court came in response to a lawsuit filed by Rachel Crafton, the wife of one of the passengers who died in the crash.
The lawsuit was alleged Federal Aviation Administration, Army, American Airlines, and the “systemic failures” of its subsidiary PSA Airlines that led to the crash. Meanwhile, other families affected by the disaster have also filed similar claims.
“The United States acknowledges that it owed a duty of care to the Plaintiffs, which it breached, causing the tragic accident on January 29, 2025,” the Justice Department said in a 209-page document.
“The United States recognizes that [Black Hawk helicopter] Pilots failed to maintain vigilance to see and avoid [plane] And their failure to do so was the actual cause and proximate cause of the accident.”
The crash occurred when the helicopter crossed into the path of an American Airlines regional jet as it descended toward Ronald Reagan National Airport.
The collision caused debris from both planes to fall into the Potomac River, where rescue workers later retrieved 28 bodies from the icy water.
All 64 people on board the plane and three helicopter crew members died during the mid-air collision.
The U.S. government’s acknowledged liability also arises, in part, from errors by air traffic control staff at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Despite the admission, some fingers are being pointed, as the filing suggests liability may lie with the jet’s pilots and other parties, including the airlines.
American Airlines and its partner, PSA Airlines, named in the document, have filed suit seeking dismissal.
Robert Clifford, one of the attorneys acting for the family of victim Casey Crafton, said the DOJ filing acknowledged “the military’s responsibility for the unnecessary loss of life” and the FAA’s failure to follow air traffic control procedures.
He also said the document “correctly” acknowledged that others – American Airlines and PSA Airlines – also contributed to the deaths.
“The families of the victims are deeply saddened and grief-stricken by this tragic loss of life,” he said.
In a statement, a US Army spokesperson said: “The Army understands and respects the need for families to receive more information regarding the tragic DCA accident.
“We acknowledge that many individuals are still seeking answers regarding the incident and the measures being taken to prevent similar tragedies.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to release a report detailing the cause of the crash in early 2026.
Nevertheless, investigators have highlighted several contributing factors, including the helicopter allegedly flying too high on a dangerous route, which left only a sliver of airspace for planes landing at the airport.
In the moments before the collision, air traffic controllers twice asked the Army helicopter pilots if the aircraft was in front of them; The pilots said they did.
He then requested a “visual separation endorsement”, which would allow him to use his eyes to maintain distance between aircraft.
But NTSB investigative hearingFAA officials acknowledged that controllers at the airport had become overly reliant on the use of visual separation – a practice that has since ended.
Additionally, the NTSB said that the FAA failed to recognize and mitigate the risks around the busy airport, despite having had an astonishing 85 near misses in just three years before the accident.
Independent American Airlines has been contacted for comment.