Overview

• 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.