ALPA Reiterates Strong Support for ROTOR Act, Calls on House to Pass Lifesaving ADS-B in Technology Mandate

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today stood with the families of those lost in the PSA Airlines Flight 5342 tragedy and bipartisan members of Congress to call for immediate passage of the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act. The legislation would mandate the installation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast In (ADS-B In) equipment to provide integrated safety-enhancing capabilities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommends that the FAA require all aircraft operating ADS-B Out to also be equipped with Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) that is configured to provide audible alerting to the pilot or flight crew as a key to preventing future midair collisions. The ROTOR Act would do exactly this.

“59 seconds vs. 19. That’s the difference the NTSB says ADS-B In could have made for PSA Flight 5342, saving 67 lives,” said Capt. Ambrosi. “This tragedy highlights a hard truth: Improvements are needed now to ensure no other families feel the same pain as those with us today. This accident was preventable, and preventing the next one is now a test of leadership.”

At the core of the NTSB’s findings is a clear requirement for ADS-B In technology, which provides real-time traffic alerts for pilots. The NTSB determined that if the PSA 5342 regional jet had been equipped with ADS-B In CDTI, the pilots would have had approximately one minute to identify the approaching helicopter  rather than just 19 seconds, a difference that could have saved all 67 lives on board.

“Congress has an obligation to honor the memory of those lost a year ago by taking action now. We call on the House to pass the ROTOR Act without delay, then let’s work together on the ALERT Act to address the remaining NTSB recommendations. This shouldn’t be difficult—all of the above for safety, not one or the other,” added Ambrosi.

While the ROTOR Act mandates integrated ADS-B In, the recently introduced House ALERT Act takes an opposite approach, establishing an industry-driven rulemaking process for an ill-defined “collision mitigation” technology and includes expansive compliance waivers.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us on X @ALPAPilots.

CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org