Aviation safety bill based on deadly midair collision near Washington faces a House vote

The legislation seeks to address lessons learned from the 2025 crash that killed 67 people.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 4:52am

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A moody, atmospheric painting depicting the solitary silhouette of a commercial airliner against a dimly lit urban skyline, with warm sunlight and deep shadows creating a sense of quiet contemplation around the aircraft.As lawmakers weigh new aviation safety measures, the haunting specter of a past tragedy casts a long shadow over the nation's capital.Wichita Today

An aviation safety bill aimed at preventing future midair collisions, based on lessons learned from a deadly 2025 crash near Washington, D.C., is up for a vote in the House of Representatives. The bill, called the Alert Act, would require aircraft flying around busy airports to have technology that lets pilots know the precise locations of other aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended this technology since 2008 and said it could have prevented the crash that killed everyone aboard an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter.

Why it matters

The 2025 midair collision near Washington was the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since 2001, killing 67 people, including 28 members of the figure skating community. The crash exposed systemic weaknesses in aviation safety and years of ignored warnings about the dangers of helicopter traffic around busy airports. This bill is an attempt to address those issues and prevent future tragedies.

The details

The Alert Act would require planes to have Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In (ADS-B In) systems that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. Proponents say this technology could have alerted the pilots of the American Airlines jet about the impending collision with the Army Black Hawk helicopter. The NTSB said the poor design of a helicopter route in the approach path of a Reagan National Airport runway, and air traffic controllers relying too much on pilots seeing and avoiding other aircraft, were key factors in the crash.

  • The midair collision occurred on January 29, 2025.
  • The House is scheduled to vote on the Alert Act on Tuesday evening.

The players

Sam Graves

Republican co-sponsor of the Alert Act.

Rick Larens

Democratic co-sponsor of the Alert Act.

Ted Cruz

U.S. Senator who has said the Alert Act needs to be improved.

Maria Cantwell

U.S. Senator who has said the Alert Act needs to be improved.

Jennifer Homendy

Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, who has criticized the original version of the bill as 'watered down' but said the revised version would address the shortcomings identified in their investigation.

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What they’re saying

“The Alert Act now addresses our recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that let pilots know more precisely where other aircraft are flying around them.”

— Jennifer Homendy, Chairwoman, National Transportation Safety Board

“If both the plane and the Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systems had been turned on, the collision would have been prevented.”

— Jennifer Homendy, Chairwoman, National Transportation Safety Board

What’s next

The House is scheduled to vote on the Alert Act on Tuesday evening. If it secures two-thirds support, the bill will advance to the Senate, where Senators Cruz and Cantwell have said it needs further improvements.

The takeaway

This aviation safety bill is a critical step in addressing systemic weaknesses and years of ignored warnings that contributed to the deadly 2025 midair collision near Washington. By requiring advanced aircraft tracking technology, the legislation aims to prevent future tragedies and improve safety around busy airports.