The National Transportation Safety Board has thrown its support behind an updated House aviation safety measure, though families who lost loved ones in January’s deadly midair crash near the nation’s capital are pushing for more stringent implementation requirements.
Federal transportation safety officials say the Alert Act now incorporates their recommendation mandating aircraft operating around major airports to carry advanced tracking technology. This equipment would give pilots better awareness of nearby air traffic locations. Safety investigators have advocated for these systems for more than 15 years, dating back to 2008.
Family members of the 67 people killed in the collision expressed cautious optimism about the legislation’s improvements Thursday, but stopped short of full endorsement. They want implementation deadlines as firm as those included in a Senate measure that recently failed by a single vote.
“Any safety requirement that routes implementation through negotiated processes, administrative discretion, or multi-step rulemaking creates opportunities for delay that cost lives,” the families said. “The strongest version of this bill will set clear statutory timelines and performance standards that leave no room for process to become an obstacle.”
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members are scheduled to review the measure for advancement Thursday.
Safety board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy had harshly denounced the legislation’s initial draft last month, calling it a “watered down” proposal insufficient to prevent future disasters. However, the agency issued a statement saying the updated version, developed with crash investigation specialists’ input, would tackle the deficiencies their probe uncovered.
The legislation would now mandate aircraft carry Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In technology capable of receiving location data from other planes. This system could have provided earlier warning to American Airlines pilots about the approaching collision with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29, 2025. While most aircraft already possess ADS-B Out systems that transmit their positions, the receiving capability would be newly required.
Federal investigators identified systematic failures and years of unheeded safety alerts as primary crash factors. Homendy stated that proper ADS-B In equipment on both aircraft, if activated, would have prevented the tragedy. Army protocols at the time required helicopters to operate without these systems activated to maintain location secrecy, despite this particular helicopter conducting routine training rather than sensitive operations.
Several major aviation organizations have endorsed the House proposal, including Airlines for America and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
