A bill introduced Tuesday, exactly six-months after the fatal midair collision over the Potomac River, aims to fix aviation safety weaknesses exposed by the tragedy.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, would require aircraft operators to install key anti-collision technology on all flights and require the Army to keep it turned on in almost every case.
Sixty-seven people died on January 29 when an Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission collided with an American Airlines regional jet coming in for a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The Rotor Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act, or ROTOR Act, would require aircraft to send and receive Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast signals. Planes equipped with so-called “ADS-B out” send radio signals with GPS location, altitude, ground speed and other data once a second, independent of air traffic control. Most aircraft are required to transmit ADS-B information, but this new bill would require them to also have “ADS-B in,” which displays information in the cockpit about surrounding aircraft.
The helicopter that hit the passenger plane in January was not broadcasting ADS-B data due to a rule that allowed the Army to fly with the system turned off.
Cruz, who heads the Senate committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, called ADS-B “critical for aviation safety.” He’s been sharply critical of Army practices, stating the military was given too much leeway by the FAA to operate without the equipment. “It gives pilots and air traffic control a clear view of what’s happening in the skies,” he said.
The new bill would require the FAA to grant permission for military flights without ADS-B only for “sensitive government missions” like presidential transport when the airspace is already shut down to other traffic.
Cruz, along with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and family members of the victims of the crash backed the new bill at a news conference of Capitol Hill.
A ”myriad of midair collisions” prompted the NTSB to recommend the FAA require ADS-B In for flying more than 20 years ago, according to Homendy. The NTSB can recommend changes but does not have the authority to implement them.
“ADS-B In, and I can’t stress this enough, is a game changer – a game changer when it comes to safety,” Homendy said.
On Wednesday, the NTSB will begin three days of investigative hearings regarding the collision.
American Airlines, whose regional jet was involved in the crash, applauded the bill in a statement.
“We continue to mourn the lives lost in the tragic accident involving Flight 5342 and we are grateful for Senator Cruz, Secretary Duffy, Members of Congress and everyone involved for their work to make aviation and our national airspace even safer. American Airlines stands in strong support of these efforts,” the airline said.
Under the bill, the FAA will also review helicopter routes near congested airports across the country and the Army inspector general would be required to audit their aviation safety practices.
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