Aviation safety legislation requiring all aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B In technology has passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) proposed the legislation after the mid-air collision of a military helicopter and a commercial jet over the Potomac River killed 67 people on Jan. 29. The legislation would also require all military aircraft to operate using ADS-B Out technology, would strengthen coordination between the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense, and would require a comprehensive safety review of all aircraft operations in the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) airspace. An investigation into the January crash found that prior to the crash, reports of more than 15,000 near-misses between commercial aircraft and helicopters in the National Capital Region that went unaddressed for three years.
“Sixty-seven people died because a military helicopter flew invisible to another aircraft and pilots lacked the technology to see each other. The bipartisan agreement fixes both problems,” Cantwell said before the vote on the bill. “First, it closes the ADS-B Out loophole immediately upon the enactment of this legislation. Second, it requires aircraft operators to equip their fleets with ADS-B In technology by 2031—the first-ever mandate for these life-saving technologies after 17 years, when the NTSB first recommended it. The agreement also strengthens FAA-Department of Defense coordination, requires comprehensive safety reviews of all aircraft operations in the D.C. airspace, as well as all major and mid-sized airports across the country. These are the reforms that the families sought, and we know that they will save lives.”
The legislation, also known as the ROTOR Act, closes ADS-B Out loopholes and ensures military accountability, while mandating ADS-B In equipment to prevent in-air or runway collisions, requiring comprehensive safety reviews of all major and mid-sized airports, and advancing next-generation collision avoidance technology.