Senator claims Black Hawk ADS-B was disabled, wreckage pulled from Potomac River

Republican Senator Ted Cruz, currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has claimed that the Black Hawk involved in a fatal crash in Washington DC had its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) switched off during its final flight, according to media reports.  

Although it is not uncommon for military aircraft to disable their ADS-B during flights to prevent being tracked, Senator Cruz said this should not have been the case at the time. 

On February 6, 2025, Cruz said: “This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off.”   

However, the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Jeniffer Homendy told reporters that the board “didn’t know that at this time,” whether the helicopter’s ADS-B was activated, according to CBS News.  

Homendy said: “We believe there are avionics on that helicopter that we need to evaluate in order to determine what they did have and what was on at the time.” 

NTSBInvestigators know that the Black Hawk was visible on radar screens, but the ADS-B is an advanced surveillance technology that provides more accurate details to air traffic control and other aircraft pilots. 

Previously, Homendy had said that details regarding the Black Hawk’s ADS-B system would not be known until the wreckage had been studied.  

On January 6, 2025, the NTSB confirmed that the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), had recovered the Black Hawk from the Potomac River, although the right engine and tail rotor are still missing.  

The NTSB said: “The wreckage is expected to be offloaded from the barge tomorrow [Friday] and transferred to a secure location.” 

Additional parts from the American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700 were also removed from the Potomac River following the crash on January 29, 2025. 

While the investigation continues, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to reduce landings at   Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).  

The airport has three runways, and the maximum arrival rate will be reduced from 28 to 26 arrivals per hour, according to FOX News.  

On February 4, 2025, the NTSB confirmed that the US Army Black Hawk was at 300 feet (rounded to the nearest 100 feet) at the time of the collision, but additional information to verify data points from the helicopter was needed.   

On January 29, 2025, a US Army Black Hawk and a PSA Airlines operated plane collided as the passenger jet was about to land in Washington DC.  

There were 60 passengers and four aircraft crew on board the American Eagle flight and three US Army soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter. It has since been confirmed that all were killed.  

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