WASHINGTON (Reuters) – According to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, the Army helicopter involved in a recent collision with a passenger jet in Washington had its tracking technology deactivated at the time of the incident. The system, which aids air traffic controllers in monitoring aircraft movements, was switched off during the crash, as revealed by Senator Cruz to the New York Times.
Senator Cruz, a Republican member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, participated in a closed-door briefing regarding the accident with representatives from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. During the meeting, concerns were raised about the Black Hawk helicopter’s tracking technology not being operational during the training flight, as reported by the New York Times on Thursday evening.
Known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), this technology transmits an aircraft’s position, altitude, and speed to facilitate air traffic control. Unlike radar tracking, which may experience slight delays, ADS-B offers real-time information to enhance safety measures, as detailed by the newspaper.
The tragic collision over the Potomac River in Washington, resulting in the loss of 67 lives in the helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, marks the deadliest air disaster in the United States in over two decades. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Michael Perry)
