Photos: Wikimedia Commons
The US military Black Hawk helicopter had its safety system turned off at the time of the American Airlines plane accident, according to a senator.
The chairman of the US Senate Commerce Committee, Ted Cruz, confirmed that the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the American Airlines jet accident had its safety system turned off at the time of the collision.
Cruz told reporters that the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system was off, which is allowed for military aircraft. ADS-B is a technology that enables tracking of other jets and similar aircraft.
“This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for the ADS-B to be turned off,” Cruz said after a meeting with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Black Hawk helicopter was flying about 30 meters above the maximum allowed altitude on the route near Reagan National Airport. Senator Maria Cantwell questioned why the FAA allows military flights to operate with the system turned off.
The agency imposed several restrictions on helicopter flights near the airport.
The accident involving the American Airlines plane occurred on January 29, resulting in 67 fatalities.
+Watch the moment of the American Airlines plane accident
Photos: Wikimedia Commons. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
