The United States has officially taken responsibility for the January 29, 2025 mid‑air collision that claimed 67 lives, according to a court filing in a federal lawsuit filed by the family of Casey Crafton.
In the document, the Justice Department admitted that it owed a duty of care to the plaintiffs and that it breached that duty, which directly led to the fatal accident near Reagan National Airport.
The filing explained that Army pilots operating a Sikorsky UH‑60 Black Hawk failed to maintain “vigilance” and “proper and safe visual separation,” causing the helicopter to intersect an American Airlines jet as both were over the Potomac River.
It also noted that the helicopter crew ignored altitude restrictions and took an off‑route path toward the river’s center at too high an altitude. The report further revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army had previously received data and reports documenting repeated near‑misses and close‑proximity flights at the Washington, D.C. airspace, yet appropriate corrective action was not taken.
The crash, which destroyed every passenger on American Eagle Flight 5342, remains the deadliest commercial aviation disaster on U.S. soil in more than two decades.
The National Transportation Safety Board plans to release its findings early next year. Robert Clifford, one of the attorneys representing Crafton’s family, stated that the government’s admission affirms the Army’s responsibility for “the needless loss of life” while also highlighting FAA’s failure to follow air‑traffic control procedures.
He noted that other parties, including American Airlines and PSA Airlines, also share blame. The families affected continue to mourn the tragedy, according to Clifford.
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