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Aviation boss accepts ‘systemic failures’ in jet and helicopter disaster

Moment US army helicopter wreckage emerges from the river after DC plane crash

The head of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bryan Bedford, admitted that the agency's systemic failures directly caused a mid-air collision that claimed 67 lives.
The incident, involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, marked the deadliest US aviation disaster since 2001.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded the accident resulted from the FAA permitting helicopters to operate near the airport without adequate safeguards and failing to implement safety recommendations.
Bedford stated the FAA does not dispute the NTSB's findings, confirming many recommendations have already been acted upon, with others under evaluation.
The FAA has since made a permanent change to ensure helicopters and planes no longer share the same airspace around the airport, with additional NTSB recommendations expected.