NTSB Chair Homendy urges Congress to enact aviation safety legislation

Jennifer Homendy aviation safety legislation 2025 midair collision ADS-B ROTOR Act

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy called on Congress to adopt sweeping aviation safety reforms following the January 2025 mid‑air collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The collision involved an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive safety reform bill in April with a 396‑10 vote, while the Senate unanimously approved the ROTOR Act in December, which fell short of passage in the House. The legislation would require collision‑prevention technology (ADS‑B) on all military aircraft by 2031, except fighters, bombers and drones, and mandate collision‑mitigation equipment for civilian airplanes and helicopters. The NTSB says ADS‑B could have prevented the 2025 disaster and issued 75 findings and 50 safety recommendations.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford noted the agency could move forward on ADS‑B without congressional action, though it prefers legislative direction. Homendy warned that each day without implementation of the NTSB's recommendations heightens risk to the public and urged lawmakers to resolve the remaining differences before the congressional recess.

Entities

American Airlines · Bryan Bedford · Federal Aviation Administration · Jennifer Homendy · National Transportation Safety Board · U.S. House of Representatives · U.S. Senate · United States Congress

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] The legislation also establishes requirements for equipping civilian airplanes and helicopters with collision‑mitigation technologies. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The Senate passed the ROTOR Act unanimously in December but failed to secure enough votes in the House to become law. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com
[● 5 SOURCES] FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency could move forward on ADS‑B without congressional action, though it prefers direction from lawmakers. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The House legislation requires installation of collision‑prevention technologies on all military aircraft by 2031, except fighters, bombers and drones. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The NTSB said ADS‑B would have prevented the 2025 collision. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com
[● 8 SOURCES] A collision in January 2025 between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter killed 67 people. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com · +3 more
[● 8 SOURCES] NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy urged Congress to pass aviation safety legislation. brusselsmorning.com · kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · +3 more
[● 5 SOURCES] The U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping aviation safety reform bill in April with a vote of 396‑10. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com
[● 6 SOURCES] The U.S. House of Representatives voted 396‑10 in April to pass a sweeping aviation safety reform bill. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com · +1 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The NTSB determined the accident was caused by FAA decisions allowing helicopters to travel close to the airport without safeguards and by failure to act on safety recommendations. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The Senate passed the ROTOR Act unanimously in December, but it fell one vote short of the two‑thirds majority required in the House. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The legislation would require installation of ADS‑B collision‑prevention technology on all military aircraft by 2031, except fighters, bombers and drones. kelo.com · wixx.com · wkzo.com · wtvbam.com · wdez.com