WASHINGTON, D.C. — Families of the victims gathered with lawmakers outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to appeal for Congress to pass air safety legislation. The group urged immediate action on the ROTOR Act following a midair collision over the Potomac River that killed 67 people in January 2025.

The legislation incorporates many recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board and requires aircraft to include ADS-B In equipment. This technology provides pilots with real-time information about the location of nearby aircraft. The NTSB stated that if ADS-B In equipment had been in the regional jet and the Army helicopter, the airline pilot would have had 59 seconds of warning time. The board also stated that the helicopter pilot would have had 48 seconds of warning time.

Doug Lane lost his wife Christine and 16-year-old son Spencer in the crash. Spencer Lane was a figure skating prodigy, and twenty-eight members of the figure skating community were among the victims. Rachel Feres lost her cousin, his wife, and two young daughters in the crash.

"The families have done our part," said Lane. "Members of both parties have come together around meaningful legislation." He added, "It’s time to finish it."

"Every single day that passes without implementation of our recommendations is an unacceptable risk to aviation safety," said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. She described the situation as "an unacceptable risk to crew members" and "an unacceptable risk to the flying public, to passengers." Homendy said she will continue to push for the air safety provisions to be implemented. "We can’t spend another moment looking them in the eye and doing nothing," she said. "We have an obligation."

Virginia Reps. Suhas Subramanyam and Don Beyer spoke at the news conference. Senator Maria Cantwell also spoke at the event. Subramanyam and Cantwell are excluded from direct quotation per editorial guidelines.

"The greatest tragedy of that is that it was utterly and completely preventable," said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Cruz chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration. Cruz said he hopes Congress will be able to pass a bill during the lame duck session that will follow November's elections.

The Senate unanimously passed the ROTOR Act last year. However, the House failed to approve the ROTOR Act earlier this year. The House vote on the ROTOR Act was 264-133.

The ROTOR Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously in December but needed a two-thirds majority in the House to pass under fast-track rules and it fell one vote short. The military reversed course and opposed the ROTOR Act at the last minute.

FAA Administrator Brian Bedford testified on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Bedford said he needs guidance from Congress. Bedford told reporters in July the FAA could move forward on ADS-B without action from Congress but would prefer direction from lawmakers. Bedford said his staff will work to address NTSB concerns.

American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter collided in midair over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport on January 29, 2025. American Airlines Flight 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas. The Army helicopter was a Black Hawk on a training mission.

The passenger plane was preparing to land at Reagan National Airport at the time of the collision. The NTSB made 50 safety recommendations in its final report on the accident. Thirty-three of the NTSB safety recommendations were made to the FAA. The NTSB found that the FAA’s response to a third of the recommendations was unacceptable. The NTSB said responses by the Federal Aviation Administration to 11 of 33 recommendations made by the board after the 2025 mid-air collision were unacceptable. The FAA restricted helicopter traffic around Reagan National Airport after the collision. Air traffic controllers are now prohibited from relying only on pilots to see other aircraft and avoid them.

Why It Matters

The push for the ROTOR Act comes as families and safety officials emphasize that the 2025 collision was preventable with existing technology. The legislation addresses specific gaps identified by the NTSB, particularly regarding situational awareness for pilots in congested airspace. With the military now opposing the bill after previous support, the path to enactment faces new legislative hurdles despite bipartisan backing from key lawmakers.

The FAA's response to safety recommendations remains a central point of contention, with the NTSB labeling a portion of the agency's actions as unacceptable. Congressional guidance is sought by the FAA administrator to move forward on equipment mandates like ADS-B In. The outcome of the lame duck session will determine whether these safety measures become law before the next congressional term begins.

Timeline

On the same day, Rachel Feres lost her cousin, his wife, and two young daughters in the crash.

The collision killed 67 people. Twenty-eight members of the figure skating community were among the victims.

What's New

"We owe it to these families," said Jennifer Homendy. "We owe it to cargo pilots and so much more to improve safety now," said Homendy. "We can’t spend another moment looking them in the eye and doing nothing," said Homendy. "We have an obligation," said Homendy.