A Deadly Mistake: How Air Traffic Control and Army Pilots Failed in the Sky

A tragic accident happened near Washington, D. C. last January. A helicopter and a plane crashed into each other. This crash killed 67 people. It was the worst plane crash in the U. S. in over 20 years. The U. S. government said that an air traffic controller and Army helicopter pilots made mistakes. These mistakes helped cause the crash. The air traffic controller did not follow the rules for keeping planes apart. The helicopter pilots did not watch for other planes. The government also said that the plane's pilots and the airlines might have made mistakes too. But the airlines say they are not to blame. They say the government is responsible.The crash happened near Ronald Reagan National Airport. The plane was landing when the helicopter hit it. The helicopter was flying higher than it should have been. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) knew about problems like this before. But they did not do enough to stop them. The families of the people who died are very sad. They are still grieving. The government said they are sorry and will take responsibility. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) will tell us more about what caused the crash. But they have already said that the helicopter was too high. They also said that the FAA did not do enough to keep planes safe. The crash was very sad. It killed young figure skaters, their parents, and coaches. It also killed four workers from Washington. Experts say it is unusual for the government to admit fault so quickly. But they did not think they could win if they went to court.