Last week, the main safety system of a US Army helicopter was turned off in a collision with an American Airlines regional jet near Reagan Airport in Washington, killing 67 people.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz told reporters that Black Hawk helicopters have turned off the automatic dependency surveillance broadcast (ADS-B), which is permitted on military aircraft.
“Because this was a training mission, there was no compelling national security reason for the ADS-B to be turned off,” Cruz said. I mentioned it after that.
In the most deadly US disaster in more than 20 years, both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River last week.
The helicopter was about 100 feet above the maximum allowed on that route, the NTSB said earlier.
ADS-B is an advanced surveillance technology that tracks aircraft locations.
Cruz pointed out that helicopters have transponders so they appear on the radar, but the ADS-B is significantly more accurate.
Last week, Sen. Maria Cantwell, a top Democrat on the committee, questioned why the FAA, for the first time since 2018, allowed military flights to fly by turning off installed ADS-B equipment. did.
The FAA also said on Thursday it began reviewing the airport, which had a large amount of helicopter and plane traffic nearby, after Cruz said he had requested a safety review.
In the aftermath of the crash fall, the FAA has placed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February, with two use runways remaining closed.
According to the FAA Advisory, if police, medical, or presidential transport helicopters must use airspace, civilian aircraft are not permitted to be in the same area.
NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy told reporters that the helicopter pilot would be displayed based on a cockpit audio recorder that helicopter pilots were wearing night vision goggles.
She also said it is likely a few days before the helicopter was recovered from the Potomac River and that the NTSB could confirm that the helicopter ADS-B was turned off during the crash.
US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy also questioned some military training and other missions.
“We're going to find this, but if they had night vision goggles on such missions at 9am, not at 9am, that's not acceptable,” Duffy said Wednesday. Ta.
