Gov’t Makes Stunning Admission Regarding Blame for Deadly Black Hawk-Jet Mid-Air Collision That Killed 67
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Taylor Bacon
Posted For: Rotorblade
Nearly a year has passed since a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commercial passenger jet as it approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sending both aircraft into the icy waters of the Potomac River. The January 29, 2025, crash killed all 67 people involved—64 passengers and crew aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 and three Army personnel on the helicopter.
Now, the first lawsuit stemming from the disaster is moving through the courts.
Rachel Crafton, whose husband Casey was a passenger on Flight 5342, has filed suit against American Airlines and the U.S. government, calling his death “senseless and tragic.” In a court filing submitted Wednesday, the federal government acknowledged it failed in its “duty of care” to the commercial passengers, admitting that the Army helicopter pilots did not maintain adequate vigilance to avoid the incoming jet.
In its filing, the government stated that both flight crews failed to see and avoid one another and that the local air traffic controller at Reagan National did not comply with established FAA procedures. As a result, the United States conceded potential liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act, with damages to be determined and possibly shared among other responsible parties.
The Black Hawk helicopter had been conducting a training mission out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and was flying north along the Potomac River. Preliminary reports indicate that as it returned from the mission, the helicopter failed to maintain the required altitude near the airport, placing it directly in the path of the American Airlines jet arriving from Wichita, Kansas.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy has said investigators are closely examining the altitude of both aircraft at the time of the crash. According to NTSB findings released earlier this year, the passenger jet was flying at 313 feet just two seconds before impact, while the Black Hawk was at 278 feet at the moment of collision.
The helicopter was required to remain at or below 200 feet while approaching the airport but was flying 78 feet above that limit, placing it dangerously close to the descending jet. While questions remain—including scrutiny of the helicopter pilot’s flight history—the altitude violation has emerged as a central issue in the investigation.
Although the NTSB has not yet issued its final determination of fault, the government’s admission signals that it believes sufficient evidence exists showing the Army crew failed to meet its obligation to remain vigilant.
Crafton’s attorney, Robert A. Clifford, welcomed the acknowledgment. “In a very carefully drafted and lengthy legal filing, the United States admits the Army’s responsibility for the needless loss of life in the crash of an Army helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 at Reagan National Airport, as well as the FAA’s failure to follow air traffic control procedure,” Clifford said in a statement.
The NTSB’s final report on the crash is expected in early 2026.
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