House to Vote on Alert Act for Aviation Safety

The House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday evening on the Alert Act, a bipartisan aviation safety bill aimed at preventing midair collisions like the one that killed 67 people last year when an American Airlines jet struck an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. While the measure has strong support from industry groups and the National Transportation Safety Board, families of the victims and several senators argue it requires further strengthening to ensure timely implementation.

The collision occurred on January 29, 2025, as the commercial jet, en route from Wichita, Kansas, approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The aircraft plummeted into the icy Potomac River after striking the helicopter, marking the deadliest aviation accident on U.S. soil since 2001. Among the victims were 28 members of the figure skating community traveling to a competition. All aboard both aircraft perished.

An NTSB investigation identified multiple contributing factors, including a poorly designed helicopter route that intersected the airport's secondary runway approach without adequate separation from incoming planes. The route had not been regularly reviewed, and...