Relatives of victims of deadly mid-air collision between airliner and army helicopter push for new law to prevent similar tragedy

On Capitol Hill this week, victims' families urged Congress to take action more than a year and a half after various cameras caught the horrific mid-air collision between the Army Blackhawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 near Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. There were no survivors on that night in January 2025. Laura Augendre, one of the relatives who spoke at a news conference, said, "We cannot change what happened that night," said Augendre. "But we can, and we must change what happens next. Close to 19 months ago, four members of my family boarded a plan on Kansas. Peter, Donna, Everly, and Olivia, along with 63 other souls, never made it home that night."

Last December, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the ROTOR Act, which requires all aircraft, including airline and business jets, general aviation and military, to be equipped with additional technology in the cockpit. Aircraft are already required to send out signals of their locations, called ADS-B Out, which and they can be seen by air traffic controllers and enthusiasts. But the new legislation would also require those same aircraft that broadcast signals to also have ASD-B In, which would allow aircraft and their pilots to receive those same signals. In February of this year, the House killed the Senate bill.

Now, advocates for the legislation want Congress to pass the bill as soon as possible. "ADS-B In would have prevented this collision. It would have prevented it, said Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board. "We wouldn't be here today. We are so close, so close, but we need a final bill."

After the crash, the FAA prevented helicopters and planes from sharing the same airspace around Reagan Airport. Texas Senator Ted Cruz commended family members for not giving up on this and continuing to pressure Congress. "I don't want to be standing here in a year with another 67 families, with another accident of people's lives who were taken because Congress couldn't get the job done."

Laura Augendre said, "Action is past due. We cannot wait for another tragedy to prove the need for safety measures we already know can save lives." The House and Senate are now meeting to hammer out a compromise on a single bill that both chambers can vote on. Senator Cruz said he is hoping Congress can pass it after the November election. 

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