US House Fails to Pass ROTOR Aviation Safety Bill After Pentagon Withdraws Support Following 2025 Fatal Crash

The US House of Representatives narrowly failed to pass the ROTOR Act on Tuesday, a key aviation safety bill aimed at preventing disasters like the January 2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that claimed 67 lives.

The legislation, which had passed the Senate unanimously in December, would have required both commercial and routine military flights to equip aircraft with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems by 2031. While 264 members voted in favor, 133 opposed, leaving the bill one vote short of the two-thirds majority required under fast-track rules.

Only one Democrat joined 132 Republicans in voting against the legislation. The bill’s provisions mandated ADS-B use on routine military training flights but exempted sensitive missions. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) emphasized that ADS-B could have prevented the 2025 crash, alerting the passenger plane 59 seconds prior and the helicopter 48 seconds before impact. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy called the House vote “despicable” and questioned how many more lives would need to be lost before action is taken.

The Pentagon initially supported ROTOR but issued a last-minute statement citing “significant unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks affecting national defense activities,” which contributed to the bill’s failure. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz and ranking Democrat Maria Cantwell expressed disappointment but remain confident that ROTOR will eventually become law.

House Transportation Committee Chair Sam Graves indicated that a rival bipartisan measure, the ALERT Act, would be considered next week. Cosponsored by Democrat Representative Rick Larsen, the bill aims to address NTSB recommendations but critics argue it may not guarantee the widespread adoption of ADS-B systems critical for crash prevention.

Families of the 2025 crash victims criticized the vote, saying technical objections, now disputed, overshadowed the urgent need for safety measures. “The same risk that killed 67 people 13 months ago is still in the sky tonight,” they said. Audrey Patel, who lost her husband in the crash while pregnant, stressed the preventable nature of the tragedy.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers, a Republican, warned that ROTOR could compromise national security but supported ADS-B for military aircraft operating in congested civilian airspace. The Air Line Pilots Association noted that strong congressional majorities back ROTOR and vowed to incorporate ADS-B requirements into the ALERT Act.

Had it passed, ROTOR would have expanded oversight of commercial jets and helicopter traffic near airports, ensuring improved situational awareness to prevent future aviation disasters.