GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas revealed Thursday that the U.S. Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet last week near Washington's Reagan Airport had a key safety system turned off. Cruz, who is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee,

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.

The Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the fatal midair collision in Washington, D.C., had a tracking system turned off, Sen. Ted Cruz said.

The U.S. Army helicopter that collided with an passenger jet near Washington, D.C., had an advanced surveillance system turned off.

The black hawk helicopter involved in the deadly collision with an American Airlines jet over Washington, D.C. has a crucial safety system turned off at the time.

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.