The U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation supporters say could have prevented a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people last year.
The crash occurred in January 2025 when a U.S. Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Investigators found that while the commercial aircraft transmitted location data through ADS-B, the military helicopter did not. Neither aircraft was equipped to receive ADS-B data, limiting warning time.
The White House had no comment on the ROTOR Act and referred questions to Pentagon https://t.co/u5GWE5YAq1
— David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) February 23, 2026
The Senate-backed ROTOR Act would require all aircraft that transmit ADS-B signals to also receive them and would mandate most military aircraft to broadcast their locations during training flights. The National Transportation Safety Board says the measure directly addresses key safety failures.
House leaders are instead promoting the broader ALERT Act, which does not mandate ADS-B for all aircraft and allows military exemptions. Families of victims and the NTSB argue the proposal falls short and risks missing a clear chance to improve aviation safety.
Also Read:
TIPP Staff
