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David Zimmermann


NextImg:Cruz rolls out bill preventing midair collisions after DC plane crash

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Tuesday introduced a bill to prevent midair collisions, six months to the date after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed into a passenger jet approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people.

The legislation aims to mandate the installation of anticollision technology on all military flights and require the Army to keep ADS-B Out and ADS-B In signals on at all times. Operating independently of air traffic control, the system broadcasts the aircraft’s position, altitude, speed, and other data.

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It is believed the Jan. 29 crash happened because the helicopter was not broadcasting ADS-B data. At the time of the accident, Army policy allowed crews to turn off the system in case of a sensitive or classified mission as long as the commander approved.

Cruz, who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, said there should be no exceptions when airline safety is at risk.

“We should not tolerate special exceptions for military training flights operating in congested airspace, no matter the circumstances,” he said during a Tuesday press conference. “Any aircraft flying near commercial traffic must fully adhere to safety standards.”

The senator was joined by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. Two families of the victims were also in attendance.

“Leaders became complacent, and we had warnings of near-misses in the D.C. airspace — unacceptable,” Duffy said, adding that he is looking forward to working with Cruz and his Senate colleagues to get the bill passed.

The NTSB is still investigating the cause of the accident, including whether the helicopter crew switched off the ADS-B technology.

The independent agency is set to start a three-day hearing examining the January midair collision on Wednesday. The hearings will focus on military helicopter routes in the Washington area, anticollision technology, and training for air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport, among other topics.

The NTSB previously said the Federal Aviation Administration had failed to address 85 near-misses between airplanes and helicopters near Reagan National Airport in the three years before the crash. In response to the tragedy, the FAA banned helicopter routes, including the one on which the collision happened.

Sixty passengers and four crew members died aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which fell into the frigid Potomac River in late January. The two pilots and one crew chief on the Black Hawk also died.

American Airlines praised Cruz’s bill, hoping it could strengthen aviation safety.

BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION SEEKS UPGRADES TO ALL MILITARY AIRCRAFT AFTER DC CRASH

“We continue to mourn the lives lost in the tragic accident involving Flight 5342, and we are grateful for Senator Cruz, Secretary Duffy, Members of Congress, and everyone involved for their work to make aviation and our national airspace even safer,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “American Airlines stands in strong support of these efforts.”

Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and Todd Young (R-IN) co-sponsored the bill.