U.S. Government Admits Fault in D.C. Midair Collision

Attorney acknowledges mistakes by Army helicopter crew and air traffic controller.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 01:15 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The crash site in the Potomac River [Credit: Getty Images/Win McNamee]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. government has admitted culpability in the January midair collision, acknowledging mistakes by Army Black Hawk pilots and an FAA air traffic controller.
While admitting liability, the government maintains that American Airlines and PSA Airlines also contributed due to alleged failures in crew training for navigating D.C. airspace.
In response to the crash, the FAA has implemented new rules for air traffic separation in D.C., and the Senate passed the ROTOR Act requiring all aircraft to broadcast their position over the capital.

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The U.S. government this week acknowledged its culpability in the January midair collision between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.

In response to a lawsuit filed by the family of one of the crash victims, an attorney with the Justice Department’s Civil Division admitted mistakes by the pilots of the Black Hawk and an FAA air traffic controller (ATC) overseeing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) contributed to the disaster.