Government acknowledges Army pilots' failure in fatal DC plane crash.

The Justice Department has admitted that Army helicopter pilots and an air traffic controller failed in their duties during the tragic midair collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The collision resulted in the deaths of many individuals. The U.S. government stated in a court filing that it acknowledges its responsibility for breaching its duty of care to the victims and their families, leading to the crash. The government also expressed liability, along with other responsible parties, to those legally eligible to receive damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The specific amount of damages has not yet been established. Following the collision between an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter, resulting in 67 fatalities, the U.S. government acknowledged that the pilots on the military helicopter had failed to maintain safe visual separation. The Senate took action to address a loophole regarding military aircraft flying without broadcasting their locations, passing a bill requiring all aircraft to use ADS-B technology to prevent similar incidents. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz emphasized that if the Army Black Hawk had been using its ADS-B system during the collision, the tragedy could have been averted.