Bipartisan Bill Aims to Boost Safety Following Midair Collision
January’s mid-air disaster, which occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, spurred calls for stricter safety protocols.
Emergency crews responded after a passenger jet collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport along the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia.
The top lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee released a bipartisan bill on October 16 aimed at boosting aviation safety following the deadly midair collision near Washington earlier this year.
Republicans and Democrats had previously unveiled their own versions of legislation to address issues that have come to the forefront since the January collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines Group Inc. regional jet, which killed 67 people.
Chairman Ted Cruz and the panel’s top Democrat, Maria Cantwell, announced the bipartisan agreement, increasing the odds that the changes will ultimately be enacted.
Author summary: Bipartisan bill to boost aviation safety.