This week, the US government accepted responsibility for a tragic mid-air collision earlier this year involving an Army helicopter and a jet in Washington, DC, which resulted in the deaths of 67 individuals, as detailed in recent court documents.

In a legal filing related to a federal lawsuit initiated by the family of Casey Crafton, a victim of the crash, the Justice Department acknowledged, “The United States concedes it had a duty of care to the Plaintiffs and breached this duty, leading directly to the tragic accident on January 29, 2025.”

The incident involved Army pilots operating a Black Hawk helicopter who, according to the 209-page court filing, did not maintain “vigilance” nor “proper and safe visual separation” from an American Airlines jet, leading to a catastrophic collision above the Potomac River, close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The document further noted that the helicopter crew of three soldiers failed to comply with prescribed altitude restrictions.

“The Army crew negligently deviated from their flight path towards the Potomac River’s center and ascended to an excessive altitude,” the filing specified.

The filing also admitted that the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Army had access to data and reports that showed repeated near-collisions and aircraft that had come into too close a proximity to each other at the DC airport.

The collision, which claimed 67 lives — including every person onboard American Eagle Flight 5342, is the deadliest commercial crash on US soil in more than two decades.

The National Transportation Safety Board is slated to release its report on the cause of the crash early next year.

Robert Clifford, one of the attorneys for the family of Crafton, told the Associated Press that the government admitted “the Army’s responsibility for the needless loss of life.”

He added that the filing highlighted the FAA’s failure to follow air traffic control procedures while “rightfully” acknowledging others, including American Airlines and PSA Airlines, also contributed to the deaths.

The families of the victims “remain deeply saddened and anchored in the grief caused by this tragic loss of life,” he said.

The FAA, US Army, and American Airlines did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

With Post wires