Senator Wants FAA To Eliminate Class B ADS-B Exemptions

Under a proposed Senate bill, all aircraft operating in Class B airspace in the U.S. would be required to install and use ADS-B Out and In technology. The bill was introduced by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation.

FAA regulations require that aircraft operating in Class B airspace be equipped with and use ADS-B Out, but there are no regulations mandating the use of ADS-B In. Many aircraft are equipped to display ADS-B In traffic on cockpit displays and portable devices, but as yet, there has been no FAA regulatory work on ADS-B In mandates.

However, the Secretary of Transportation is able to grant exemptions for the use of ADS-B Out in Class B and other airspace where ADS-B is required. The Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a PSA Airlines CRJ700 on January 29 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) did not have its ADS-B equipment switched on. After the accident, the FAA required all aircraft operating in Washington, D.C.’s Class B airspace to have ADS-B Out turned on.

“The tragic midair collision on January 29 and the two recent near misses at Reagan National Airport demonstrate an urgent need for improvements to aviation safety to make certain the airspace near some of our nation’s busiest airports are safe,” said Moran. “This legislation will make certain aircraft in airspace like DCA are transmitting and receiving important tracking data to both protect themselves and help air traffic control better conduct landings and takeoffs. The Army and the FAA must fully cooperate with the National Transportation Safety Board as they continue their investigations, and the flight restrictions around DCA must remain in place until all investigations are complete.”