US government admits ‘vigilance’ failure in Potomac River plane collision that killed 67

WASHINGTON, DC: The US government has formally accepted blame for the tragic incident that occurred in January, when two aircraft collided midair over the Potomac River near Washington, DC.

The crash involved a military helicopter and a passenger jet, killing 67 people.

Attorneys representing the government admitted that the Federal Aviation Administration did not follow its own procedures when it allowed air traffic controllers to rely on pilots for visual separation. They also acknowledged that the Army helicopter pilots failed to “maintain vigilance” to avoid the descending passenger jet.

US admits fault in deadly Potomac midair crash

In a response to the first lawsuit filed by the family of a victim, the Justice Department stated that "The United States admits that it owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs, which it breached," in connection with the January 29, 2025, collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River.

The filing from the government indicated that an air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration did not follow established procedures for visual separation of aircraft, and that the Army helicopter pilots failed to maintain a proper lookout, resulting in the collision with the passenger jet.

As a result, the government acknowledged responsibility for the tragic incident.

US admits pilots failed to maintain vigilance

Attorneys admitted in the filing that the helicopter and passenger jet pilots "failed to maintain vigilance," and that the Black Hawk pilots "failed to maintain proper and safe visual" separation from the American Airlines aircraft. 

Rachel Crafton, the wife of deceased passenger Casey Crafton, is accusing the government of negligence.

Robert Clifford, the attorney representing 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."

The disaster resulted in the deaths of 67 people aboard the two aircraft, 64 passengers and crew members on the American Eagle regional jet and three soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter.

In the initial hours following the mishap, authorities recovered at least 28 bodies from the freezing waters of the Potomac River.