In the wake of a deadly midair collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, the U.S. Army has revised key aviation procedures, including how it uses the aircraft-tracking system known as ADSB (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast), and significantly scaled back helicopter flights over the Washington, D.C., area.

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, head of Army aviation, shared the changes with The Associated Press on Tuesday, saying the adjustments were part of an effort to improve safety while maintaining mission readiness.

Although the crash involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet remains under investigation, officials have zeroed in on the lack of ADSB-out data from the helicopter as a potential factor.

The ADSB system plays a crucial role in modern aviation safety. The "out" portion of the system broadcasts a plane or helicopter's exact location every second, allowing air traffic controllers and nearby aircraft to monitor its movement.

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However, the same broadcast can be intercepted by anyone with a receiver, including civilians. Because of this, the Army has historically disabled ADSB-out on flights it deemed sensitive, particularly those involving high-ranking officials or emergency training missions.

But following the crash, the Army has committed to curbing that practice.

“There now will be fewer flights with the ADSB-out data turned off,” Braman said. “If they are not going to one of those sensitive locations it should 100% be on.”

According to an August 2024 Army memo obtained by the AP, the Army had an exemption from broadcasting ADSB-out during certain classified operations. Those included missions such as rehearsals for government continuity plans or flights transporting top military officials.

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Often, even training missions would integrate landings at secure locations, requiring the ADSB-out to be disabled for the entire flight.

Under the new policy, the Army is separating routine training and evaluation flights from those involving classified destinations.

This change significantly limits the number of flights where location data is hidden, allowing for better airspace coordination and improved situational awareness for civilian and military air traffic controllers.

“We're reducing the risk by changing how and when we turn ADSB-out off,” Braman explained.

While ADSB-out may have been off the night of the collision, Braman emphasized that the helicopter was not invisible to air traffic control.

The Black Hawk’s transponder was functioning and actively transmitting in three modes — A, C, and S — providing controllers with the aircraft’s identity, altitude, and location.

“There was no question where that aircraft was,” Braman stated. “There was no point during the flight where the jet and the airport control tower could not see the Black Hawk.”

He also pushed back against public assumptions that the Army helicopter was effectively hidden.

“I think there’s still a perception out there — I know there is — that the aircraft with ADSB-out in that segment around DCA were invisible. And that is so far from the truth,” he said.

In a broader response to the crash, the Army has also curtailed flights that ferry high-ranking officials around the capital region.

These helicopter trips, once frequent for generals and other top brass, have been mostly suspended. Only a few flights for the Secretary of War, Deputy Secretary, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff continue on a limited basis.

Previously, the Army's 12th Battalion — one of 28 agencies authorized to use low-altitude helicopter corridors around the airport — conducted regular VIP transport flights from the Pentagon’s helipad to regional destinations.

These have now been drastically reduced to minimize flight volume in the congested airspace near Reagan National.

The FAA has taken steps as well.

As part of its response to the crash, it permanently closed a flight route along the Potomac River that had intersected with the approach path for the airport’s main runway — the same route involved in January’s collision.

Another change comes with the Army’s decision to expand its use of ADSB-in, the complementary system that receives location data from nearby aircraft.

Until recently, most Army helicopters lacked this feature due to cost concerns and limited requirements.

Now, the Army has approved the purchase of 1,600 ADSB-in systems to be installed across its fleet, enhancing pilots' ability to detect nearby aircraft in real time.

These changes come amid increasing scrutiny of military and civilian coordination in high-traffic airspace like that of Washington, D.C., where a mix of commercial, law enforcement, emergency, and military aircraft operate in close proximity.

Though investigators have not concluded whether ADSB-out was off during the crash, Braman said the Army is taking proactive steps to minimize ambiguity moving forward.

“We’re not waiting on the final report to make the right changes,” he said. “Our priority is safety, always.”

As authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the January 29 collision, these procedural overhauls aim to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

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