A key safety system was turned off on the U.S. Army helicopter that collided with an American Airlines plane near Washington’s Reagan Airport, killing 67 people.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz stated that the Black Hawk helicopter had switched off its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system (ADS-B), which is allowed for military aircraft.
“This was a training flight, so there was no safety reason to turn that system off,” Cruz said after a briefing by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The ADS-B system is an advanced tracking technology for aircraft location. Cruz noted that the helicopter had a transponder, allowing it to appear on radar, but that the ADS-B system is significantly more precise.
The NTSB previously stated that the helicopter was flying about 30 meters above the allowed altitude.
Last week, Senator Maria Cantwell, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate committee, questioned why the FAA had allowed military flights to operate with the system turned off since 2018.
Cruz also said he had requested the FAA to review helicopter flight routes near other airports with heavy air traffic.
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Following the crash, the FAA imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan Airport, at least until the end of February, while two lesser-used runways remain closed.
When police, medical, or presidential transport helicopters need to use the airspace, civilian aircraft will not be allowed in the same area, the FAA recommended.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also questioned the necessity of non-essential military helicopter flights.
“If generals are flying helicopters through this airspace just for convenience, that is unacceptable. Take a damn car and drive—you don’t need to take a helicopter,” Duffy stated.
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Source: Glas Amerike, Foto: Reuters