The Senate has approved the bipartisan ROTOR Act, aimed at ensuring military aircraft operate under the same safety regulations as commercial airliners in congested airspace, particularly around Washington, D.C. Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell have teamed up to sponsor the bill. It mandates that all aircraft, including military helicopters, utilize Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) technology.
Despite its bipartisan support, the ROTOR Act was largely born from tragedy. Black Hawk helicopter, ARNG photo by 1st Sgt. This crash brought some serious safety issues to focus. The National Transportation Safety Board documented 85 near misses in the three-year period before the crash. Senator Cruz emphasized that “the tragedy could have been avoided if the Army Black Hawk had been using its ADS-B system,” which was operational but turned off during the training mission. The military had argued that if the locator system were activated, observers could use infrared cameras and other technology to track the helicopter’s positioning.
The recently passed House bill requires military aircraft to be held to the same standards that commercial airlines must require. This provision is a strong step forward for safety in crowded airspace. Airline jets already have a variant of ADS-B in place. This technology allows aircraft to track and communicate with ground stations in real-time. The ROTOR Act goes even further, requiring a holistic review of the impact of safety measures at airports nationwide.
We urge the White House to back the Senate-passed version of the ROTOR Act. That widespread support, especially among Republicans, portends a very high chance that the bill will soon be passed by both chambers with final approval from the president coming next month at the earliest. Senator Cruz has made clear his intent to push for the swift passage of the bill, understanding that it stands to dramatically improve safety in America’s aviation system.
The Federal Aviation Administration has directed military helicopters to turn on their locator beacons when flying through the congested airspace surrounding the nation’s capital. This requirement is to reduce risk and improve pilots’ situational awareness while operating within this complex environment.
It is encouraging to see this progress, especially to have such strong bipartisan support for the ROTOR Act. Unfortunately, the report detailing that crash investigation won’t be finished until sometime next year. Beyond ground-breaking legislation we hope the findings from this report will deliver a deeper understanding of aviation safety and help direct future legislative efforts.
