Senators Introduce Bill to Prevent Repeat of Potomac Collision

Proposed legislation would enhance coordination between the FAA and Department of Defense.

Zach Vasile

Friday, June 06, 2025 at 03:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Delta aircraft takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. [Shutterstock/Andrew Mauro]

Key Takeaways:

Democratic senators introduced the "Safe Operation of Shared Airspace Act" in response to a mid-air collision that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The bill mandates military and other noncommercial federal flights use the ADS-B Out navigation system, closing a loophole that allowed the Black Hawk involved in the collision to be functionally invisible.
It aims to strengthen the FAA by shielding it from hiring freezes and establishing an office to coordinate flight paths and share information with the Pentagon to enhance aviation safety.
Specific provisions target improved airspace safety at and around DCA, including joint FAA-Pentagon safety reviews for military and civilian operations.

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A group of Democratic U.S. senators have introduced a bill aimed at better coordinating commercial and military flights in response to a midair collision earlier this year that killed 67 people.

The Safe Operation of Shared Airspace Act would require military and other noncommercial federal flights to use the ADS-B Out navigation system that commercial flights do, shield the FAA from future hiring freezes, and establish an agency office to oversee the coordination of flight paths with the Pentagon.