59 Seconds Could Have Saved 67 Lives

A 100% Preventable Tragedy. A Clear Legislative Duty.

40 Seconds

An additional 40 seconds of situational awareness could have saved 67 lives.

 

At a recent Senate hearing, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy made the Board’s conclusion unmistakably clear:

The crash of PSA Airlines Flight 5342 was 100% preventable.

Investigators found that if the aircraft had been equipped with ADS-B In technology, the pilots would have received a traffic advisory 59 seconds prior to the accident; instead, they had only 19 seconds to identify the approaching helicopter.

What Congress Must Do Now

The Solution Is Clear: The House Must Finish What the Senate Started

The Senate unanimously passed S. 2503, the ROTOR Act, to implement the NTSB’s key safety recommendations in the wake of the accident, including a straightforward requirement:

All aircraft operating in airspace where ADS-B Out is required must also be equipped with ADS-B In with a display of traffic information that is configured to provide audible alerting to the pilot and/or flight crew. 

The House must finish what the Senate started. The ALERT Act needs to be amended to include a clear mandate for integrated ADS-B In, consistent with the NTSB’s recommendations and the standard established in the ROTOR Act. 

No carve-outs. No exemptions.

While the House vote fell short, a strong bipartisan majority made clear Congress knows what must be done. The NTSB found this tragedy was 100% preventable. ALPA will keep working to advance meaningful legislation that addresses the full scope of what the NTSB has called for and ensures ADS-B In is fully integrated into the flight deck.

One Level of Safety in Shared Airspace

ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast) improves surveillance data for air traffic control, and ADS-B In enhances pilot situational awareness and helps prevent midair collisions.

ADS-B In is beneficial in all airspace where ADS-B Out equipage is required. It is especially vital in complex airspace around high-density airports like Washington, D.C., where commercial airlines, military aircraft, helicopters, business aviation, and general aviation all operate side by side in the same airspace.

Shared airspace requires shared standards.

Safety cannot depend on aircraft category or operator type. There must be one level of safety for everyone flying in the same airspace.

The ROTOR Act reflects that principle, requiring ADS-B In to be integrated for all aircraft, and allows the FAA to establish performance standards for alternate equipment that satisfies the ADS-B In requirement for non-commercial aircraft and qualifying military aircraft weighing below 12,500 pounds. The ALERT Act does not.

40 Seconds. 67 Lives.

The NTSB determined that the PSA Airlines Flight 5342 accident was 100% preventable.

40 additional seconds could have changed the outcome.

Congress now has a clear choice: Leave a known safety gap in place—or fully implement all of the NTSB’s lifesaving recommendations.

One level of safety. One standard in shared airspace.