The government acknowledged Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army played a role in causing the collision last January between a plane and a Black Hawk helicopter near the nation's capital, killing 67 people.
The official response to the first lawsuit filed by one of the victims' families said the government is responsible for the crash in part because the air traffic controller violated procedures that night.
But the document suggested that others, including the pilots of the plane and helicopter, also played a role. The lawsuit also blamed American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, for the crash, but those airlines have filed motions to dismiss it.
At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of an American Airlines regional jet as it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport in northern Virginia, just across the river from the nation's capital, officials said. The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.
One of the lawyers for Casey Crafton's family, Robert Clifford, said the families and their advisors will carefully study the new legal documents. Clifford said the government "rightly acknowledges" that it is not solely responsible for the crash and that it was one of several causes.
Clifford said his team will continue to investigate the crash to ensure all at-fault parties are held accountable and expects additional findings from an NTSB hearing on Jan. 26.
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