U.S. Military, FAA Admit Fault in Deadly D.C. Air Crash

The U.S. government has officially admitted to critical failures that caused a fatal mid-air collision near Washington, D.C. A new report confirms errors by both pilots and an air traffic controller led to the January crash. The incident involved a helicopter from the U.S. Army's 12th Aviation Battalion and a fixed-wing aircraft. Both crashed into the Potomac River shortly after taking off from Reagan National Airport (DCA). Four people died. Investigators found the air traffic controller cleared the two aircraft for takeoff on crossing runways. The controller then failed to monitor them properly. At the same time, the pilots of both aircraft did not see and avoid each other, as required by standard flight rules. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army jointly released the findings. They stated the shared failures created the conditions for the accident. The controller involved is no longer working at the airport's tower. The report is part of an internal review, not a full safety investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting its own, more detailed probe. Final conclusions on the exact cause are expected later.