Government admits fault in Reagan National Airport crash: ‘Wholly avoidable tragedy’

Published December 18, 2025 9:07am ET



The federal government admitted liability for the deadly plane collision in Washington earlier this year, conceding military personnel and government air traffic controllers contributed to the disaster. 

​​In the 209-page filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department wrote that the United States “admits that it owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs, which it breached, thereby proximately causing the tragic accident on January 29, 2025.”

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