A key safety system was turned off on a U.S. Army helicopter that collided with an American Airlines regional jet last week near Washington Reagan Airport, killing 67. Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz told reporters the Black Hawk helicopter had turned off its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B),

An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday.

Investigators trying to determine what caused last week’s deadly midair collision between a US military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane near Washington, DC, briefed lawmakers Thursday on what they’ve learned after combing through data from both aircraft and air traffic control.

There was no immediate word on casualties or the cause of the collision, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors.

Army Blackhawk helicopter that collided with an American Eagle flight over the Potomac River​ late last month was flying with a safety system turned off, Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters after a briefing from the FAA and NTSB.

A key safety system was turned off on the US Army helicopter that collided with an American Airlines regional jet last week near Washington’s Reagan Airport, killing 67. Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz told reporters the Black Hawk helicopter had turned off its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B),

Senator Ted Cruz told reporters that the chopper's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system was not on before the crash over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.