Why did the military helicopter crash into the American Airlines commercial flight in Washington D.C? It was likely that the helicopter was not equipped with ADS-B In capability. If this is true. the crash could have easily been avoided with a simple avionics upgrade. In 2020 all commercial and private aircraft were required to install new GPS units with ADS-B capability (https://lnkd.in/gb6bSqmd). All aircraft in busy airspace are required to transmit out via the ADS-B system (ADS-B Out) their exact location in three-dimensional space. Air Traffic Control, as well as all other nearby aircraft, can receive these coordinates and know exactly whether there is a chance of a mid air collision at all times. The accuracy is withing a few feet of exact. Not all aircraft are required to have ADS-B In capability, but smart pilots do so we know exactly where all traffic is at all times. The issue with military aircraft is (1) they do not transmit their position via ADS-B Out (for security reasons) so commercial and private flights cannot "see" them on their cockpit screens, and (2) many military aircraft do not have ADS-B In capability so they do not have such situational awareness. Since the American flight was not able to get the real time location of the helicopter (because it did not transmit its location via ADS-B Out), it could not know it was there and could not avoid it. Given that the helicopter ran into the jet, I surmise that it did not have ADS-B In capability. If it had, it would have known it was heading for a crash and could have avoided this disaster. The DOD must make it a priority to upgrade all military aircraft with ADS-B In so that such a tragedy cannot happen again.
