This past week, the House passed the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act. The bill was introduced on February 21, 2026, as a response to the collision that took place in January 2025 between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk that killed all 67 passengers on board both aircraft. The ALERT Act has the backing of key leaders, as well as major pilot organizations.
The act would require all aircraft that fly near airports to install safety instruments capable of receiving data about aircraft in the vicinity. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been recommending such technology since 2008. Some aircraft currently have technology that broadcasts their current location, but not the technology fit for collision avoidance. Many believe that had the American Airlines jet had the collision-avoidance technology, the fatal accident may have been prevented. Under the ALERT Act, military aircraft will be required to install collision-avoidance technology by 2031, with the exception of fighters, bombers, drones, and other special-mission aircraft. The House bill also addresses helicopter route safety and separation requirements, both of which were determined as probable causes of the 2025 crash.
GOP leaders fast-tracked the bill after the Senate’s version, the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, failed by one vote following the Pentagon’s withdrawal of support. Many families of the victims, however, believe this bill should be strengthened, arguing that collision-prevention technologies are not market-ready and may take years to be so.
The collision took place over the Potomac River, near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and was the deadliest air disaster in over 20 years. According to the helicopter’s route, its maximum altitude was to be 200 feet; the crash occurred at an altitude of nearly 300 feet. According to the Justice Department, an air traffic controller did not comply with an order from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The NTSB reported the crash was a result of a “multitude of errors” and “systemic issues across multiple organizations”. In December 2025, the Justice Department ruled that the federal government was liable in the crash. Efforts to prevent such crashes have been ongoing; in 2022, members of an FAA working group urged moving helicopter traffic away from airports and establishing airborne hot spots, or high traffic areas. The efforts were rejected because they were labeled as too political. As the bill goes to the Senate, there is hope that the ALERT Act will pass the Senate as seamlessly as it passed the House, bringing justice to the victims’ families.
