Our government is supposed to serve us and look out for our interests. Rarely is that ever the case.
Now the DOJ confessed to aiding in the deaths of dozens of Americans.
Federal Government Admits Liability in Fatal Mid-Air Collision
The U.S. government has formally accepted responsibility for its role in the tragic mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport earlier this year, acknowledging that actions by military personnel and air traffic controllers contributed to the incident.
In a 209-page court filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department stated that the United States “admits that it owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs, which it breached, thereby proximately causing the tragic accident on January 29, 2025.”
The collision involved a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet, resulting in the deaths of all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The planes crashed into the Potomac River, marking the deadliest aviation disaster on U.S. soil in over two decades. The filing described the event as a “wholly avoidable tragedy.”
Government attorneys conceded that the Black Hawk’s three-person crew did not detect and evade the approaching commercial jet.
The helicopter pilots “failed to maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid other aircraft and their failure was a cause-infact and proximate cause of the accident,” the filing reads.
Additionally, air traffic control at Reagan National Airport did not warn the jet about the helicopter’s approach.
Specific Failures Identified in Court Documents
The Justice Department pointed to an air traffic controller at the airport’s tower, stating that the individual “negligently violated” a Federal Aviation Administration order by “failing to follow the procedures for visual separation” between the helicopter and the passenger aircraft.
This week’s filings represent the government’s response to the initial lawsuit brought by a victim’s family. Rachel Crafton, widow of passenger Casey Crafton, sued the U.S. government, American Airlines, and PSA Airlines (which operated Flight 5342), claiming all parties overlooked warning signs following more than 30 near-misses in the airport vicinity.
American Airlines and PSA Airlines have moved to dismiss the allegations against them.
Contributing Factors and Subsequent Changes
The National Transportation Safety Board identified understaffing as a factor in the crash. On the night of the incident, a single controller handled both fixed-wing and helicopter traffic after responsibilities were consolidated via an “early shove” procedure—standard when traffic is low.
Following the crash, staffing requirements at the airport have been strengthened.
The NTSB also noted during hearings this summer that the Army did not widely disseminate information about known inaccuracies in the barometric altimeter of the Lima model Black Hawk, which could vary readings by 70 to 100 feet.
