[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 209 (Thursday, December 11, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S8657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                  National Transportation Safety Board

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, the deadly collision that occurred here in 
our Nation's Capital between American Airlines Flight 5342 from 
Wichita, KS, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on January 29, 2025, 
forever changed how we look at and think about air travel.
  There were numerous circumstances that led to this horrific incident, 
and the NTSB's--the National Transportation Safety Board--critical 
investigation into this collision is continuing even today.
  While the NTSB's final recommendations have not yet been released, 
the Chair of the NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, took an unusual step in 
publicly stating that the current version of NDAA--the National Defense 
Authorization Act--does not adequately address the safety concerns 
surrounding the mixed airspace around DCA.
  She even went on to say that the legislation--NDAA--``reverses safety 
changes made after the mid-air collision; after the NTSB issued urgent 
safety recommendations; and after Secretary of Transportation Sean 
Duffy rightfully implemented NTSB's urgent safety recommendations.''
  Based on the data and recommendations we have received so far from 
NTSB, we know that, one, there should have been limitations to rotary 
travel in high-traffic areas of commercial air travel; two, all 
aircraft in this space should be using position broadcast technology, 
with nearly no exceptions; and three, the users of this congested 
airspace should be communicating problems to each other, like the 
15,000 near misses that occurred around DCA in a 3-year period between 
commercial planes and rotary aircraft--15,000 near misses in a 3-year 
period of time.
  The current NDAA text includes a provision which misses the mark on 
two of these must-have provisions; therefore, I will insist and be 
working with my colleagues to amend the fiscal year 2026 National 
Defense Authorization Act or to otherwise pass legislation, perhaps in 
the appropriations process--I am a member of that committee--to make 
sure that NDAA language is at least, as a minimum, abiding by the 
safety standards that were set in place after the crash of January 29.
  Our aviation system is fragile. I chair the Commerce Subcommittee on 
Aviation and Space. We have seen this in testimony time and time again. 
There is fragility in the safety of our air system.
  Over the last year, Congress has passed significant legislation to 
invest in the future safety of our airspace and introduced legislation 
to make our airspace safer, including the ROTOR Act. Now is not the 
time to step back from these efforts.
  I am grateful for the hard work of NTSB Chair Homendy and her team, 
and I look forward to receiving their final recommendations when that 
time arises.
  I also want to say thank you to the families of the victims of Flight 
5342, who have continued to be vocal advocates for the safety of our 
airspace in honor of the loved ones they lost.
  It is important that we not take a step back but take a step forward, 
and I will work in every way that I can with my colleagues to see that 
we accomplish that before the passage of the National Defense 
Authorization Act.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.