Capt. Ambrosi: Aviation Safety Demands Action—One Year After Midair Collision Near Washington National

This Op-Ed was first published by Newsweek. 

For those of us who fly for a living, this week’s anniversary of the deadly midair collision between a military helicopter and a commercial airliner near Washington National Airport is not an abstract memory—it is a somber reminder that we must always do more to advance safety.

The loss we experienced a year ago reinforces a truth pilots have always understood: Aviation safety is built through vigilance and constant advancement. From two fully qualified pilots on the flight deck and effective safety technology to highly trained air traffic controllers and reliable aircraft tracking, each layer of protection exists for a reason. Weakening any one of them puts unnecessary strain on the entire system.

If we are serious about honoring the lives lost and the families forever changed by that night, Congress must strengthen—not stall—the proven safety practices that protect passengers and crews every day. That starts with House passage of the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act (ROTOR Act), bipartisan legislation that would require all aircraft, including military, to use real-time tracking with ADS-B, a technology specifically designed to increase pilots’ situational awareness and help prevent midair collisions.

The legislation is as straightforward as it is overdue. It closes dangerous loopholes that have allowed military and other government aircraft to operate near Washington National Airport and other busy hubs without transmitting their ADS-B location, speed and altitude. It also mandates uniform, integrated ADS-B technology for all airline aircraft, giving pilots the real-time indications and alerts needed to safely coordinate in complex airspace and reduce risk when margins for error are otherwise razor thin.

The Senate recognized the urgency of these gaps last month, passing the ROTOR Act by unanimous consent. The House, however, has yet to do the same, despite clear evidence that inconsistent aircraft tracking and outdated coordination policies continue to create avoidable risk. With the National Transportation Safety Board expected to approve its final report on last year’s deadly crash this week, lawmakers must move without delay to advance commonsense safety reforms that reduce risk and improve coordination in heavily congested airspace.

Still, aircraft tracking alone cannot carry the full weight of aviation safety. Even the strongest safeguards depend on the people charged with carrying them out. Chronic air traffic controller staffing shortages continue to place pressure on the system—a reality last year’s government shutdown made impossible to ignore. At the same time, the infrastructure those professionals rely on has not kept pace with the complexity of today’s airspace. Much of America’s air traffic control system is dangerously outdated, and while Congress approved $12.5 billion toward modernization last year, that investment represents only a down payment on the full funding needed to bring the system into the 21st century.

Taken together, these challenges point to a simple truth: Air safety is not self-sustaining. It is built—day after day—through rigorous pilot training, strong safety standards and policy and investment decisions that prioritize prevention over reaction. One year after the deadly midair collision near Washington National Airport, maintaining that margin of safety requires both decisive action from Congress and continued vigilance from the professionals who operate and protect our airspace.

Every aviation accident leaves behind grief, questions and a responsibility to act. While aviation remains remarkably safe, learning the lessons of accidents past and implementing strengthened provisions help advance aviation safety—and we owe it to those lives lost to not be complacent. Meeting that responsibility means strengthening the safety net that millions of passengers rely on every day—and ensuring it remains worthy of the trust placed in it.

Captain Jason Ambrosi is the 12th president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International, the world’s largest airline pilot union representing more than 80,000 airline pilots in the United States and Canada.