It has been 594 days since a commercial jet and a military helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board. For the families of those victims, the grief hasn’t faded, and neither has their frustration. The safety measure they believe could have prevented the crash, the ROTOR Act, failed in the House by a single vote in February, and they are now pressing lawmakers to bring it back during the lame-duck session after November’s elections.
The bill would require something called ADS-B In, a cockpit system that alerts pilots in real time when another aircraft is nearby. The NTSB found that Flight 5342 did not have the technology, and that it could have given the crew roughly 59 seconds of warning before impact. Families also want the Pentagon to require the same equipment on military aircraft, including the Black Hawk helicopters that share airspace with commercial flights. Here on the Suncoast, where planes, training flights, and helicopters cross paths regularly, that debate feels close to home.
Supporters like Sen. Cruz say the technology is proven and the delay is unnecessary. Family member Doug Lane put the stakes plainly, asking lawmakers who cite cost to show the math and say what a human life is worth. The push now runs through the post-election session, where a single changed vote could decide whether the ROTOR Act finally becomes law.
What do you think: should Congress pass the ROTOR Act in the lame-duck session?
