NTSB Endorses Revised House Aviation Safety Bill

A revised aviation safety bill in the U.S. House of Representatives has gained the support of the National Transportation Safety Board, positioning it for consideration by key committees this week, though families of the 67 victims from a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., last year are pressing for stricter implementation timelines to ensure swift reforms.

The collision occurred on January 29, 2025, when an American Airlines regional jet struck an Army Black Hawk helicopter during a training flight, marking the worst U.S. aviation disaster since 2001. The crash, which killed all aboard both aircraft, took place in airspace near Reagan Washington National Airport, one of the nation's busiest. Investigators from the NTSB determined that systemic weaknesses, including years of unheeded safety warnings, contributed to the tragedy. According to NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, the incident could have been prevented if both aircraft had been equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In systems, known as ADS-B In, and if those systems had been activated.

The revised bill, called the ALERT Act, now mandates the installation of ADS-B In technology on aircraft...