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

Verified

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 for the January midair collision between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk that killed 67 people, citing errors by the helicopter pilots and an FAA air traffic controller.
This admission was made in response to a civil lawsuit, even though investigators have not yet officially determined the cause of the collision.
While accepting liability, the government also maintains that American Airlines and PSA Airlines share blame for allegedly failing to train their crews on D.C. area navigation.
In response to the crash, the FAA has implemented new rules for aircraft separation, and the Senate passed the ROTOR Act, requiring all aircraft over Washington, D.C., to broadcast their position.

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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.