Cruz Reveals Cause of False Traffic Alerts

Texas senator says slew of false TCAS alerts near Reagan National was caused by government testing.

Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 12:01 PM ET

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Aircraft at Reagan National Airport [Shutterstock/Ceri Breeze]

Key Takeaways:

False traffic alerts near Reagan National Airport on March 1 were attributed by Senator Ted Cruz to the Secret Service and U.S. Navy improperly testing counter-drone technology.
Cruz stated the Navy used the same spectrum band as aircraft Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS), causing the alerts, despite previous warnings from the FAA.
The incident, which saw pilots receive urgent collision warnings without actual conflicting traffic, occurred just weeks after a fatal midair collision near the airport.
The Secret Service has denied Cruz's claims, stating they did not conduct drone system testing in the region on March 1 and coordinate with the FAA to prevent interference.

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New details have emerged about false traffic alerts that occurred near Reagan National Airport (KDCA) in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. During a Senate hearing on Thursday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said the alerts were caused by Secret Service and U.S. Navy activity.

Cruz stated that these alerts stemmed from the two agencies “improperly” testing counter-drone technology near the airport on March 1.