The U.S. government has admitted its role in a tragic midair collision over the Potomac River that claimed the lives of 67 people last January. This acknowledgment came on Wednesday, with officials confirming that both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army had a hand in the unfortunate accident near Washington, D.C.
In a recent court filing addressing a lawsuit from a victim’s family, government attorneys conceded that the FAA failed to adhere to established procedures concerning when air traffic controllers can rely on pilots to keep aircraft visually separated. Additionally, they pointed out that the Army helicopter pilots did not maintain the necessary vigilance to steer clear of the descending passenger jet.
“The United States admits that it owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs, which it breached,” the filing stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The collision occurred on January 29, when an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane collided in the skies near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This devastating event led to the deaths of 64 people aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 and three individuals on the military helicopter.
In the aftermath, emergency response teams, including Washington, D.C. Fire and EMS, DC Police, and others, were quick to respond, assessing the wreckage in the Potomac River. The American Airlines flight was en route from Wichita, Kansas, and was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport when the collision occurred. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Prompting a legal response, the estate of Casey Crafton, a passenger who perished in the crash, initiated the first lawsuit in September. His wife, Rachel, along with the rest of his family, spearheaded the legal proceedings, seeking justice for the tragic loss over the nation’s capital.
U.S. attorneys admitted in the filing that the helicopter and passenger jet pilots “failed to maintain vigilance” and the Black Hawk pilots “failed to maintain proper and safe visual” separation from the American Airlines craft.
The local air traffic controller also failed to comply with FAA procedures, the attorneys said.
Wreckage from American Airlines flight 5342 is pulled from the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Monday, February 3, 2025. The plane collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on January 29, killing 67 people. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Robert Clifford, the attorney for plaintiff Rachel Crafton, reacted to the government’s concessions, saying that the families and their counsel will “carefully study these new filings.”
“These families remain deeply saddened and anchored in the grief caused by this tragic loss of life,” Clifford said in a statement. “During this holiday season, the families are especially disheartened by the shattered joyfulness without their loved ones.”
Wreckage is seen in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, on Thursday, Jan. 30. (Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles, U.S. Coast Guard via AP)
The lawsuit also targeted American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, for their roles in the disaster, but both have filed motions to dismiss.
The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release its report on the cause of the crash in January.
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S Army and the FAA for comment.
