House Fails to Advance Senate Measure Requiring Aircraft Tracking Technology After Deadly Potomac Crash

Legislation mandating broader use of ADS-B systems falls short of two-thirds threshold despite bipartisan support.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

The U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 24 declined to advance a Senate-approved bill designed to reduce the risk of midair collisions by requiring aircraft operating near high-traffic airports to use location-transmitting technology.

The legislation was introduced following the January 2025 collision over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., involving a regional passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft were killed in the crash.

In the aftermath, the National Transportation Safety Board renewed its long-standing recommendation that all aircraft be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems, known as ADS-B. The agency has advocated for universal adoption of the technology since 2008.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) responded by drafting the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act, known as the ROTOR Act. The measure would require most aircraft to install and operate ADS-B systems, including military aircraft when flying outside classified or sensitive missions.

ADS-B technology allows aircraft to broadcast their precise location, altitude, and velocity to air traffic controllers and nearby aircraft, enhancing situational awareness and collision avoidance.

Investigators determined that neither aircraft involved in last year’s crash had the system actively operating. The NTSB found that the Army helicopter’s ADS-B system had been turned off, while the Federal Aviation Administration had not authorized the CRJ700 jet to use the technology.

Although the Senate passed the ROTOR Act in December, House leadership brought the bill forward under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority for approval. On Tuesday, the measure received 264 votes in favor and 133 opposed, falling short of the supermajority threshold needed for passage.

The outcome leaves the proposal stalled despite support from aviation safety advocates who argue that expanded ADS-B usage could help prevent similar incidents in congested airspace.