WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing future midair collisions by mandating advanced locator systems on aircraft operating near busy airports, a measure inspired by the deadly crash that claimed 67 lives near Washington Reagan National Airport last year.
The legislation, known as the ROTOR Act or Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform, sought to require all such aircraft to be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) In systems, which receive location data from other planes to help pilots avoid collisions. The bill had already passed the Senate with bipartisan support but fell short in the House, garnering 264 votes in favor and 133 against under a fast-track procedure that required a two-thirds majority for passage. The vote came amid emotional pleas from families of the victims, many of whom watched from the House gallery.
The tragic incident prompting the bill occurred on the evening of Jan. 29, 2025, when an American Airlines jet en route from Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport, also known as DCA. All 67 people aboard both aircraft perished, including the parents of Olympic figure skater Maxim Naumov and 26 other members of the figure skating community. The planes plummeted into the icy waters below, in what the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later described as a preventable accident due to systemic failures in air traffic management and outdated collision avoidance technology.
Family members of the victims, including Doug Lane, whose wife and 16-year-old figure-skating son were killed, gathered for a news conference on Capitol Hill earlier Tuesday to urge lawmakers to act. Lane expressed frustration over the lack of progress, noting that the NTSB had recommended ADS-B In systems as far back as 2008 — before his son was even born. "As I learned more about the crash, I couldn’t understand why airplanes aren’t already equipped with technology that was first recommended before my son was born, and I’m angry the bill failed today," Lane said, according to reports from the scene.
Tim Lilley, whose son Sam served as the first officer on the American Airlines flight, echoed the sentiment after the vote. "I’m really disappointed, but we and the other families will continue to press for meaningful reforms," Lilley told reporters. "We’re going to end up back here having the same conversation because of another midair collision is what’s going to happen. Hopefully — fingers crossed — that doesn’t."
Other relatives, such as Rachel Feres and Ashleigh Stovall — the wife of Michael “Mikey” Stovall, one of the victims — also spoke at the conference, flanked by Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who has championed the cause. The Families of Flight 5342 advocacy group, named for the American Airlines flight number, has been vocal in supporting the ROTOR Act, arguing it would ensure all aircraft adhere to the same safety standards.
The NTSB, which investigated the crash, has long advocated for ADS-B In technology. Current regulations already mandate ADS-B Out, which broadcasts an aircraft's position, speed, and other data to air traffic control and nearby planes. However, ADS-B In, which allows pilots to receive and display that information in real time, is not universally required, particularly on airliners and military aircraft. According to NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, the system could have provided the pilots in the 2025 collision with far more precise warnings than the existing Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which only alerts to nearby traffic without specific locations.
Proponents of the bill highlighted its feasibility and relatively low cost. Homendy testified before Congress that American Airlines equipped more than 300 of its Airbus A321 jets with ADS-B In for about $50,000 each. For general aviation pilots, portable receivers compatible with iPads cost around $400. Fabrice Kunzi, a key researcher in developing these systems, explained that the technology integrates seamlessly without overhauling a plane's dashboard, primarily delivering audible alerts about potential collision risks.
Despite the support, opposition came from industry groups including Airlines for America, the military, and major general aviation organizations representing business jets and small plane owners. They backed a competing House bill introduced just last week by Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., which aims to address all 50 NTSB recommendations from the crash investigation. That broader measure, however, does not mandate ADS-B In outright. Instead, it directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to study various technologies and pursue a lengthy rulemaking process to determine the best collision avoidance solutions.
The differences between the bills were stark. The Senate's ROTOR Act, led by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., focused narrowly on requiring both ADS-B Out and In for aircraft near major airports as an immediate step. "We will succeed, and ROTOR Act will become the law of the land," Cruz pledged after the House vote. "The families and the flying public deserve nothing less." Cantwell criticized most House Republicans for "voting to protect loopholes that helped cause the DCA midair collision rather than acting with urgency to prevent crashes like this from happening again. The families deserve better."
In contrast, Graves' bill covers a wider array of issues, including rotorcraft operations and oversight reforms, but critics like Lilley argue it falls short on collision avoidance. "They’ve had 18 years to get it right. He’s talking about getting it right and he’s not even close on the collision avoidance piece," Lilley said. The Families of Flight 5342 group stated they could not support the House version as written because it lacks a clear mandate for ADS-B In and includes provisions that merely call for studies or rulemakings, potentially allowing the technology requirement to "go and die," as Lane put it. "It was not a good-faith effort to come up with a better way to do collision avoidance technology," Lane added.
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, whose members were among the victims, emphasized the urgency. "Our union will keep pushing for changes because the bill that failed was the clearest and most direct way to avoid midair collisions," she said.
House leadership expressed commitment to finding a path forward. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press that the Senate and House would collaborate on an aviation safety bill. "We’re committed to it," Johnson said. Graves indicated his committee could mark up the House bill as soon as next week, though Homendy has previously stated it does not fully implement the NTSB's recommendations.
Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., chairman of a House aviation safety caucus and one of the bill's supporters, voted yes but noted complicating factors. He expressed puzzlement over the Pentagon's last-minute opposition to the ROTOR Act and mentioned that weather-related absences among members may have influenced the tally. "I’m sure that the families of the crash victims are disappointed after the vote," Langworthy said. "But I don’t think they should be completely dejected. I do think there are avenues to bring it back. There’s will to solve this problem."
The rejection underscores ongoing tensions in aviation safety reforms, where immediate mandates clash with broader, more deliberative approaches favored by industry stakeholders concerned about costs and implementation. With the NTSB's recommendations dating back nearly two decades and the memory of the Potomac crash still fresh, advocates warn that without swift action, another tragedy could force Congress's hand. As the families vow to persist, the coming weeks will test whether lawmakers can bridge the divide between the Senate's targeted fix and the House's comprehensive strategy.