New details indicate Black Hawk helicopter had major issue moments before it collided with American Airlines plane

Texas Senator Ted Cruz has said the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines plane in Washington, DC had a serious issue in the moments before the deadly crash.

Cruz shared new insights into the fatal incident after taking part in a closed-door briefing by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), both of which have been involved in investigating what happened as the regional plane approached the Ronald Reagan National Airport on January 29.

The plane was coming in to land when it collided with the Black Hawk helicopter, causing both aircraft to crash into the Potomac River and killing all 67 people on board.

Cruz told reporters that prior to the crash, the helicopter had its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system turned off.

ADS-B is one form of data that air traffic controllers use to track aircraft in the sky, along with Center Radar and Approach Radar.

Military aircraft are allowed to fly with this system switched off, however, it offers a much more accurate tracking of aircraft locations than the transponder, which the Black Hawk also had on board.

The transponder would have appeared on radar and was providing flight data to the Black Hawk, though Cruz pointed out that the issue lies in the fact there was seemingly no reason for the ADS-B to be turned off at the time the helicopter was flying.

Recovery of the aircraft has been underway since the crash (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Per CBS News, he said: "Unless there was a compelling national security reason for turning it off, that does not seem justified and in this instance, this was a training mission so there was no national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off."

Though Cruz shared the information following his meeting with the FAA and the NTSB, other officials raised conflicting claims regarding the helicopter.

Senator Tammy Duckworth, a former Army helicopter pilot, told reporters: "What we don't know ... whether or not the helicopter actually had their ADSP-out turned on. It sounds like it might not have been turned on, but the Army was very clear that the equipment was actually is installed in the aircraft."

There were no survivors of the plane crash (Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/ U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)

Adding to the confusion, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy claimed that investigators had not yet confirmed whether there was an ADS-B on board the Black Hawk at the time of the crash.

"We don't know that at this time," Homendy said.

While Homendy indicated there will be more details to come about an ADS-B, what is known is that air traffic controllers were tracking and in touch with the Black Hawk, which had indicated it could see the American Airlines jet and that it would maintain separation.

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