Tag: Federal Tort Claims Act

2025 D.C. Midair Tragedy: On the morning of January 29, 2025, a tragic midair collision between a commercial passenger aircraft and a military helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., claimed the lives of all 67 individuals onboard both crafts. The commercial aircraft, an American Airlines regional jet en route to New York, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter conducting a routine training mission. Among the victims were members of the U.S. and Russian figure skating communities—young athletes, trainers, and champions—whose loss has reverberated through the international sports and public policy communities alike.

On January 29, 2025, a devastating mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., claimed the lives of all 67 individuals aboard two aircraft: a commercial flight, American Airlines Flight 5342, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. Among the deceased were 28 members of the American figure skating community, including rising stars, coaches, and officials. The collision occurred in the early evening, with both aircraft cleared for operations in congested but technically non-conflicting corridors. The tragedy shook the nation, not only because of the lives lost but because it revealed critical vulnerabilities in the coordination between civilian and military aviation systems.