The US Army UH60 Blackhawk which collided with an American Eagle CRJ700 over Washington had a vital safety system switched off according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) briefing.
The NTSB told US Senators that Blackhawk’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system, which provides information about the aircraft’s position, altitude and speed, was switched off.
ADS-B is a technology used in aviation that allows aircraft to automatically broadcast their position, altitude, and other flight data in real-time to air traffic control and other nearby aircraft, providing a highly accurate and shared situational awareness for enhanced safety and efficiency in the airspace.
Without that system, the CRJ700s Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is unlikely to have detected the Blackhawk.
US Senator Ted Cruz, who chaired the briefing, spoke after to say “This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off,”
The collision happend on the approach to Reagan National Airport in Washington and led to both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River with the loss of 67 lives.
The NTSB has not officially stated that this is the cause of the accident which is still under active investigation. The wreckage of both aircraft has been recovered to an NTSB facility.
