Daijiworld Media Network – Washington DC
Washington, Apr 11: In a development that has raised serious questions about military flight safety near one of America’s busiest airports, the US Army has handed over a controversial memo to the Senate, detailing why it routinely disabled a critical aircraft safety system during helicopter operations around Reagan Washington National Airport.
Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, revealed on Thursday that the Army finally provided the August 2024 memo after initially refusing multiple Senate requests. The memo was submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which then passed it to the Commerce Committee for review.
The controversy centers on ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast), an advanced tracking system that transmits an aircraft’s location to other aircraft and ground stations. The absence of this system on an Army Black Hawk helicopter during a training flight on January 29 led to a fatal collision with an American Airlines regional jet, resulting in 67 civilian deaths.
Reuters reviewed the three-page memo, which outlines instances where Army commanders were allowed to deliberately fly without ADS-B activated. The Army has since rescinded the memo, an Army official confirmed.
Senator Cruz, speaking to Reuters, criticized the Army’s lack of transparency. “It begs the question—what doesn't the Army want Congress and the American people to know about why it was flying partially blind?” he remarked. Cruz, along with Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the committee, had demanded the memo earlier but were initially denied access.
The use of ADS-B is mandatory for civilian aircraft, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted military aircraft an exemption in limited scenarios back in 2019. However, Senators say the military has repeatedly bypassed the system, even during routine operations in restricted airspace near Reagan National Airport.
Airlines for America, a trade group representing major US airlines, has long called for mandatory ADS-B use by military aircraft around busy airports to prevent avoidable accidents.
Reacting strongly, Cruz warned, “If civilians were to die in another collision between a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that was not using the safety system, those deaths will be on the Army’s hands.”
The FAA has since updated its guidelines, requiring all government helicopters to use ADS-B near Reagan National, except during active national security missions.
The Senate Commerce Committee is now examining the memo in detail, signaling possible hearings and stricter oversight on military flight protocols in civilian airspace.