The Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Eagle flight over the Potomac River last month was flying with its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system turned off, Sen. Ted Cruz revealed Thursday.
The Texas Republican, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, disclosed the detail after a closed-door briefing with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
All 67 people aboard both aircraft were killed in the collision near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Military flights allowed to disable ADS-B, but why?
ADS-B provides precise tracking data for air traffic controllers and pilots. While military aircraft are permitted to fly with the system disabled, Cruz questioned why it was turned off during what was described as a routine training mission.
“Unless there was a compelling national security reason for turning it off, that does not seem justified,” Cruz told reporters.
Investigators uncertain if Black Hawk had ADS-B installed
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Army helicopter pilot and Democrat from Illinois, echoed concerns, saying it was unclear whether the Black Hawk had ADS-B active. However, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated investigators had not yet confirmed whether the helicopter was even equipped with the system.
“This was a combined night vision goggle annual check ride,” Homendy explained, emphasizing the mission’s training nature.
Controller had the helicopter on radar before impact
Despite the missing ADS-B data, air traffic controllers had the Black Hawk on their radar at an altitude of 300 feet. The controller communicated with the helicopter, which acknowledged the American Eagle flight and stated it would maintain separation.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, previously questioned why the FAA allows military flights to operate without ADS-B. The NTSB will now determine whether the system was present and, if not, whether its use could have prevented the tragedy. Investigators suggest there was enough data available for the crash risk to have been evident, regardless of ADS-B status.
