The United States admits responsibility for the collision of an army helicopter with an American Airlines plane, killing 67 people.

The US government has admitted responsibility for the fatal mid-air collision in January between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an oncoming aircraft. American Airlines A regional plane over the Potomac River, killing all 67 people on board both planes.

“The United States acknowledges that it owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs, which it violated, and thus caused the tragic accident on January 29, 2025,” the Justice Department said in a lawsuit on Wednesday.

American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at an altitude of about 300 feet when a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three people collided with the commercial plane.

The January 29 plane crash was the worst air disaster in the United States since 2001, and led to restrictions on helicopter flights around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where the airspace is one of the busiest in the country.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the crash, criticized the FAA during a hearing over the summer on the crash for failing to address safety risks in the area as well as chronic staffing shortages.

The Justice Department said in the lawsuit that the US military helicopter crew failed to avoid the US plane, which was operated by the airline’s subsidiary PSA Airlines.

The crew also did not adhere to height restrictions in the area, the Justice Department said in its filing. It acknowledged that FAA air traffic controllers failed to separate planes and issue alerts when planes were close to each other.

“Out of respect for those killed, their families, and the ongoing investigation, it is inappropriate for the Army to comment on lawsuits,” the Army said in a statement. “Once the NTSB completes its work and due process is complete, the Army looks forward to sharing updates on the changes implemented, lessons learned, and actions taken to honor the victims.”

The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately comment.

American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The airline too A defendant has been named in the lawsuit brought by the family of one of the crash victims, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.