House Rejects Bill Aimed at Preventing Future Midair Collisions, Such as DC Crash

The House needed more than two-thirds support to pass the bill under a fast-track process, and ultimately voted 264–133.

A plane takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as Roberto Marquez of Dallas places flowers at a memorial of crosses he erected for the 67 victims of a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet, in Arlington, Va., on Feb. 1, 2025. Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

The House on Feb. 24 rejected a Senate bill that intended to prevent future midair collisions, such as the one over Washington’s Potomac River last year, by mandating the use of key location transmitting technology on all aircraft operating near busy airports.

That January 2025 crash between a regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter killed all 67 people on board both aircraft. In response, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) renewed its calls for implementing Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems in all aircraft, which the agency has been recommending since 2008.