Senate Panel OKs ROTOR Act with ADS-B In Mandate

The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved the ROTOR Act (S.2503) yesterday, clearing the way for the aviation safety bill to head to the upper chamber’s floor for a vote.

A bipartisan bill that pulls elements offered by the committee’s Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the ROTOR Act is intended to address many of the safety concerns raised in the aftermath of the January 29 midair collision outside of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA). Notably, it includes a requirement for all aircraft in controlled airspace to be equipped with ADS-B In by 2031. The bill would allow for a potential one-year extension for retrofits.

Other measures are aimed at deconflicting mixed traffic at airports, ensuring military aircraft have ADS-B Out units turned on, seeking closer cooperation between the FAA and the armed forces, and stepping up oversight and training when involving mixed traffic and/or the military.

Sen. Cantwell noted that the bill responds to issues the National Transportation Safety Board identified as it investigates the collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk and PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700. Research revealed 15,000 near-collision reports between commercial aircraft and helicopters in the National Capital Region in the three years before the crash.

“Sixty-seven people died because a military helicopter flew invisible to another aircraft, and pilots lacked the technology to see each other. The bipartisan agreement fixes both problems,” she said. “These are the reforms that the [victims’] families sought, and we know that they will save lives.”

Cruz added that the bill “closes a dangerous loophole that allowed military aircraft to operate in domestic skies without communicating their position quickly and accurately to other aviators like commercial aircraft do.“

Further, he noted that the provision mandating ADS-B In, which would enable aircraft to receive position signals from other aircraft, is something the NTSB has long recommended. “[The bill] also directs the FAA to conduct more in-depth safety reviews at airports with nearby helicopter traffic, better coordinate communication between the FAA and the Pentagon, and requires the Army Inspector General to review for systemic failures that may have contributed to the January crash at DCA,” Cruz said.

He credited the support of the victims’ families for helping the bill to take shape. “Without the families, the ROTOR Act wouldn’t be happening. As National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has said, this legislation will save lives,” Cruz said ahead of the Commerce Committee’s approval.