U.S. Government Admits Fault in Fatal 1982 Air Crash

The U.S. government has formally accepted responsibility for a 1982 mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The crash occurred on January 13, 1982. A Boeing 737 passenger jet, Air Florida Flight 90, collided with the 14th Street Bridge. It then plunged into the frozen Potomac River. A key finding states that an Army helicopter, sent to assist in rescue efforts, later struck the wreckage of the passenger plane. This impact killed a surviving passenger who was still in the aircraft. For decades, the government denied this helicopter collision occurred. New evidence and investigations have now reversed that position. The admission is part of a legal settlement with the victim's family. It brings a long-sought conclusion to one of the deadliest accidents in the capital's history.