Warner & Kaine Applaud Unanimous Senate Passage of Aviation Safety Legislation, Sending It to the House

Legislation offers safety reforms in response to the tragic mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk Helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that took the lives of 67 people on January 29, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today welcomed Senate approval of theRotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, sending it to the House of Representatives for consideration. The bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously out of the Senate Commerce Committeeearlier this year, comes in response to the January 29, 2025 collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that tragically claimed 67 lives.
“Congress owes it to the traveling public, and to the families who lost loved ones in the January 29 crash over the Potomac River, to address the systemic flaws that contributed to this tragedy,”said Warner and Kaine. “This bipartisan legislation is a meaningful step forward to ensure the safety and security of air travel. It strengthens oversight, improves coordination between the FAA and the Department of Defense, and requires comprehensive safety reviews of DCA and other busy airports. We urge the House to act quickly so this legislation can become law and provide real protections for passengers, flight crews, first responders, and the families still grieving the loss of their loved ones. When the NTSB and Army release their comprehensive reports about the crash, we stand ready to determine the next best steps Congress can take to further improve aviation safety, including removing slots from DCA.”
The January 29 crash over the Potomac River exposed multiple system failures, including the Army Black Hawk not transmitting safety-enhancing ADS-B technology (radio systems that aircraft use to share their positions with each other and with air traffic control), unsafe route design for mixed traffic near DCA, and lack of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD) coordination to prevent future incidents. TheROTOR Actaddresses these specific failures, as well as broader long-standing FAA air traffic controller shortages, FAA internal safety management systems, and the need for important post-accident safety reviews.
TheRotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Actspecifically:
Warner and Kaine have been closely involved with the investigation of the January 29th collision,meeting with first respondersandoffering condolencesto the families and loved ones of the 67 lives lost immediately following the tragedy. The senators also saw throughpassage of a legislationto remember the victims of the crash. Warner and Kainealso requestedanswers from FAA on its plans to protect the flying public in the wake of the January 29 collision. In March of this year, the senatorsrespondedto the preliminary National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on the crash. Earlier this month, the Senate passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision Kaine secured to require all aircraft of the Defense Department that operate near commercial airports be equipped with broadcast positioning technology. The senators have also sounded the alarm for years about the need for increased safety for the flying public, including fighting againstadditional flights out of DCAthat contribute to overcrowding.
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