U.S. Admits Army and Air Traffic Control Failures in Deadly DC Crash
The U.S. government admitted the role Army pilots and air traffic controllers played in the deadly collision involving a military helicopter and a passenger jet that killed 67 people near Washington, D.C., in 2025.
The government's admission came in response to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the widow of Casey Crafton, one of the victims killed in the crash, in September. The lawsuit blamed the government, American Airlines, and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, for their roles in the January 29 midair collision.
In a 209-page court filing, the government said it's among the defendants liable for damages from the crash. The filing states that the U.S. Army flight crew failed to operate the helicopter at a safe distance and that Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers didn't properly follow FAA procedures.
According to the filing, the Army pilots' "failure to maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid" the commercial airliner makes the government liable for damages in the wrongful death lawsuit.
What Happened
American Airlines Flight 5342 was about to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport the evening of January 29 when it collided with an Army Black Hawk Helicopter conducting a routine training mission.
Both aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River. The crash killed 64 people on board the plane and three people on the helicopter. The crash victims included members of the U.S. figure skating community and their families who were returning from a competition in Wichita, Kansas.
This was the first fatal crash of a commercial plane in the U.S. since 2009. This raised serious concerns over the country's aging air traffic control system and aviation safety.
What the Lawsuit Claims
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on September 24, claimed the airlines involved should have known the risks of flying into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The airport had previously been considered one of the most dangerous in the country due to high volume of military air traffic in the area.
"The defendants were required to exercise vigilance when operating and/or controlling aircraft in the vicinity of Reagan National Airport. These defendants, however, utterly failed in their responsibilities to the traveling public," the lawsuit states.
The complaint further alleges the airlines "manipulated and abused" the arrival rate system at the airport "to force in more of their arrivals per hour despite knowledge that doing so severely limited the margins for safety."
The lawsuit also claimed the Army flight crew failed to operate the helicopter at or below the mandatory altitude, and that FAA air traffic controllers failed to separate aircraft in the airspace and issue safety alerts when aircraft were in unsafe proximity.
At the time of the incident, the Army helicopter was flying above maximum altitude levels and not broadcasting an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system, also known as ADS-B.
NTSB Investigation
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board suggested thousands of close calls involving helicopters and commercial airplanes occurred in the same area near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from 2021 to 2024.
That’s thousands of close calls in the same area over just a few years. And nobody fixed it until 67 people died.
The NTSB's investigation into the crash remains ongoing. Since the incident, the agency has held a series of hearings on the matter.
What's Changed Since
Following the collision, the FAA has established procedures to restrict mixed traffic of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft near the airport. They've eliminated the use of visual separation within 5 miles of the airport, among other measures.
In May, the FAA barred the Army from helicopter flights around the Pentagon after another close call that forced two civilian planes to abort landings.
What This Means
The government admitted fault. Army pilots failed to maintain vigilance and see and avoid the commercial airliner. FAA air traffic controllers didn't follow proper procedures. The helicopter was flying above maximum altitude and not broadcasting its location.
Sixty-seven people died, including families returning from a figure skating competition. It was the first fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2009.
The NTSB found thousands of close calls in that same area from 2021 to 2024. Thousands. And it took a crash killing 67 people for anyone to do anything about it.
Now the FAA has new procedures restricting helicopter and plane traffic near the airport. They've banned Army helicopter flights around the Pentagon after yet another close call in May. The wrongful death lawsuit is ongoing. The government admitted liability. The NTSB investigation continues.
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