US admits liability in DC mid-air collision between Army helicopter and American Airlines jet that killed 67 people

The US government admitted liability this week in the mid-air collision between an Army helicopter and a jet in Washington, DC, that killed 67 people earlier this year, according to court documents.

"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 Justice Department wrote in a court filing for a federal lawsuit brought by the family of victim Casey Crafton on Wednesday.

Army pilots flying the Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29 had failed to maintain "vigilance" and "proper and safe visual separation," with an American Airlines jet — causing the deadly collision over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the 209-page filing said.