U.S. government admits role in deadly plane crash involving figure skaters, coaches

It’s been nearly 11 months since a commercial airliner and Black Hawk helicopter collided above the Potomac River, causing a crash that killed 67 people. Among them was a group of elite U.S. figure skaters. Now, the U.S. government has admitted its role in the deadly crash.

On Wednesday, the U.S. government admitted that the actions of the air traffic controller and the helicopter pilot played a role in the January 29, 2025, crash. The official response was made in court documents as a response to the first lawsuit filed by a family member of the victims. In it, it’s admitted that the U.S. government is liable, partly because the air traffic controller violated visual separation procedures.

Part of the fault would also be placed on the Black Hawk pilot. In particular, the filing called out a “failure to maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid” the airliner. Still, the government also denied that any air traffic controllers or officials at the Federal Aviation Administration or the Army were negligent in the case.

The filing does not put all of the blame on the U.S. government, though. It also claims that others, including the airliner pilots, played a role in the crash. Notably, the lawsuit also targeted American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines. They’ve since filed a motion to dismiss and not admitted blame in the same way.

The crash proved to be the deadliest plane crash on American soil in more than two decades. It took a particular toll on U.S. figure skating. Skaters, coaches, and family members were on the plane, returning from a competition in Wichita when it crashed.

“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the organization said at the time. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

The dead included six members or associates of the Skating Club of Boston. Among them were teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers, and their coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. In total, at least 28 bodies were pulled out of the Potomac River following the January crash. There had been 60 passengers, four crew members, and three U.S. soldiers on the helicopter.

Robert Clifford is an attorney for the family of victim Casey Crafton, another victim of the crash. He made the claim that the U.S. government admitted “the Army’s responsibility for the needless loss of life.” Beyond that, it was an admission of the FAA’s failure to follow air traffic control procedures. Clifford also noted American Airlines and PSA Airlines’ contributions to the tragedy.

Lawyers for the U.S. government admitted that there is a duty of care to the plaintiffs. Meanwhile, American Airlines declined to publicly comment. However, in its motion to dismiss, it laid the blame at the feet of the U.S. government and not the airline.

The National Transportation Safety Board is still expected to release its detailed report on the crash early in 2026. Still, several factors in the crash have already been publicly highlighted. That includes the proximity the helicopter had to where planes land at Reagan International, as well as 85 near misses in the three years prior to the crash.