By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote next week on a sweeping aviation safety reform bill to address dozens of recommendations issued after a January 2025 collision of an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
Two House committees on March 26 voted unanimously on the legislation to require installation of collision-prevention technologies on all military aircraft by 2031, except fighters, bombers and drones, and establish requirements for equipping collision-mitigation technologies for civilian airplanes and helicopters.
The legislation, which is expected to be considered under fast-track House rules that require two-thirds approval, also addresses deficiencies in the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety culture, enhances air traffic control training and procedures, and strengthens the safety of airspace around Reagan Washington National Airport, where the fatal collision occurred.
The bill includes a review of flight frequency at Reagan – which has the nation’s single busiest runway – to determine if it can handle current traffic.
The House failed to pass a separate aviation bill in February after the Pentagon withdrew its support and despite pleas from lawmakers and relatives of those killed in the American Airlines collision, the worst U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.
The ROTOR Act passed the Senate unanimously in December but needed a two-thirds majority in the House to pass under fast-track rules and it fell one vote short.
If the House passes the ALERT Act, the House and Senate would likely meet to work out differences between the two bills before any measure could become law.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said the ALERT bill addresses its 50 recommendations proposed after the 2025 mid-air collision and said any final legislation must also do so. “Anything less than that would be counter to aviation safety and dishonor the lives of 67 people who died on January 29, 2025, and their families who have fought tirelessly for safety change,” Homendy told Reuters.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese, Rod Nickel)
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