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14h ago

NTSB Begins Three-Day Hearing as Senators Push Universal ADS-B Legislation

The board will probe FAA and Army failures in the January DC collision with lawmakers seeking to require all aircraft to use ADS-B In/Out

KDCA Reagan D.C. airport air traffic control ATC
FILE - Salvage crews work on recovering wreckage near the site in the Potomac River of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
Reagan airport KDCA helicopter
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy testifies before a House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Transportation budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden/File Photo

Overview

  • Three-day hearings starting July 30 will examine air traffic control understaffing, conflicting Black Hawk altitude readings, and incomplete radio transmissions tied to the midair crash.
  • Senators led by Ted Cruz introduced the ROTOR Act on July 29 to mandate ADS-B Out and ADS-B In on civilian and military flights and limit exemptions for sensitive missions.
  • Following NTSB data on 85 near misses, the FAA’s route restrictions on helicopters at Reagan National remain in place to separate military and commercial traffic.
  • Family members of the 67 victims have held Capitol Hill meetings to demand comprehensive modernization of air traffic control and stricter military flight protocols.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy have endorsed legislative reforms as the agency releases thousands of pages of investigative materials online.