67 Dead in Washington Collision: Military Helicopter's Tracking System Was Deactivated

Investigators reveal that the helicopter's ADS-B system, critical for collision avoidance, was turned off during a training flight without a valid justification.

A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ 700 near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft.
The helicopter's ADS-B tracking system, which provides real-time positional data, was deactivated at the time of the crash, limiting air traffic controllers' ability to monitor its movements.
Military helicopters are permitted to disable ADS-B during specific high-security missions, but investigators found no justification for its deactivation during the training flight.
Preliminary data suggests the Black Hawk was flying above its permitted altitude and exceeding speed limits for helicopters in commercial airspace before the collision.
Flight recorders from both aircraft have been recovered, and analysis by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is ongoing to determine the exact sequence of events leading to the crash.