The U.S. government has admitted fault in the January midair collision over the Potomac River that killed 67 people. In a legal filing responding to a lawsuit, government attorneys conceded that both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army contributed to the crash. The FAA violated procedures regarding when controllers can rely on pilots for visual separation, and Army helicopter pilots failed to maintain vigilance to avoid the descending passenger jet.
The collision occurred on January 29, involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport. Sixty-four people on American Eagle Flight 5342 and three aboard the military helicopter died. U.S. attorneys acknowledged that the helicopter and passenger jet pilots "failed to maintain vigilance" and that the Black Hawk pilots did not maintain proper visual separation from the American Airlines craft. The local air traffic controller also failed to comply with FAA procedures.
The estate of Casey Crafton, a passenger killed in the crash, filed the first lawsuit in September. Robert Clifford, attorney for the plaintiff Rachel Crafton, stated that the families will carefully study the new filings and remain deeply saddened by the loss of life. The lawsuit also named American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, as defendants, but they have filed motions to dismiss. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release its report on the cause of the crash in January.