Army's ADS-B Oversight Sparks Senate Scrutiny

The U.S. Army has submitted a 2024 report to the Senate explaining the lack of use of the ADS-B safety system on helicopter flights near Reagan Washington National Airport. The report comes after a collision incident involving an Army helicopter and a jet, which resulted in 67 fatalities.

The U.S. Army has handed over a 2024 report to the Senate, shedding light on the failure to consistently utilize the ADS-B safety system during helicopter operations around Reagan Washington National Airport.

This development follows a tragic incident where an Army Black Hawk helicopter, while on a routine training mission, did not have the system operational when it collided with an American Airlines regional jet on January 29, resulting in 67 deaths.

Senator Ted Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, had considered issuing a subpoena for the memo which the Army submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee, subsequently passed onto Commerce.

(With inputs from agencies.)