US government admits fault in deadly Potomac River collision that killed 67 people in Washington DC

The U.S. government acknowledged Wednesday that both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U.S. Army contributed to a midair collision over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., last January that killed 67 people.

In a new legal filing responding to a lawsuit filed by the family of one of the victims, government attorneys conceded the FAA violated procedures dictating when controllers can rely on pilots to maintain visual separation, adding that the Army helicopter pilots failed to "maintain vigilance" to avoid the descending passenger jet.

"The United States admits that it owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs, which it breached," the filing stated.

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