'Culture of complacency': Families of plane crash victims say Army dodging accountability

The United States Army is facing criticism from families of victims killed in January’s catastrophic midair collision over the Potomac River, as anger mounts over what relatives describe as a pattern of evasion and silence from military leadership.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that in a letter sent this week to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, 168 family members of the deceased accused the Army of dodging responsibility and deliberately avoiding public scrutiny in the aftermath of the crash, which claimed 67 lives.

The disaster occurred when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 during its final approach to Reagan National Airport.

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Despite investigators still determining what caused the crash, President Donald Trump stirred controversy by accusing his Democratic predecessors and federal DEI initiatives of responsibility. He preemptively blamed those policies — without concrete evidence — even though the official cause remains unconfirmed.

“These actions demonstrate the Army’s willingness to circumvent official processes and resist oversight when deflecting scrutiny. At the same time, the Army has cited process while persistently refusing to accept responsibility or even acknowledge the families throughout these ordeals,” the letter reads, per the report.

A defense official, who was not named, confirmed to The Post that senior Army leaders plan to meet with affected families later this month, coinciding with hearings held by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Relatives said military officials have largely remained silent since a brief initial meeting following the crash. Updates, when shared, often arrived around holidays — timing some families suspect was intended to dampen public attention, per the report.

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However, the families praised the “urgency and effectiveness of the response” shown by other agencies, including Congress, the NTSB, and the Department of Transportation. These organizations have taken the lead in investigating the collision and supporting those affected.

Tim Lilley, whose son Sam served as the first officer aboard the American Airlines-operated flight, placed the bulk of the blame on the Army in his comment to The Post.

Drawing on his own background as a former Black Hawk pilot, Lilley pointed to “training shortfalls and a culture of complacency” within the military unit involved as critical failures that led to the tragedy.