Committee presses FAA to preserve post‑collision restrictions, questions NDAA military exemptions and ADS‑B rules
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Summary
Lawmakers pressed the FAA to keep the post‑collision mitigations in place around Reagan National, expressed concern about NDAA language that could permit military operations without ADS‑B broadcasts, and asked whether the FAA will seek to require helicopters near DCA to broadcast position via ADS‑B out.
Members of the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee demanded assurances that mitigations put in place after the Jan. 29 collision near Reagan National will remain in effect and questioned language in pending legislation that some members said could create operational exemptions.
Representative Norton and others opposed a provision described in the hearing as section 373 in the National Defense Authorization Act, which they said could allow helicopters to operate without transponders in certain airspace. Norton asked whether the FAA would require helicopters near Reagan National to broadcast position using ADS‑B out except for specified national security exceptions. Administrator Bedford declined to take a formal position on pending legislation but repeatedly told the panel that the FAA had not been consulted on section 373 and said, "we didn't see section 373 until last week." He also pledged that the Capital Region would not return to the pre‑Jan. 29 mixed‑traffic environment and that the FAA would maintain the mitigation measures that separate transponding and non‑transponding aircraft.
Members also pressed the FAA on noise provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and on the agency’s progress implementing an aircraft noise advisory committee. Bedford said the committee has been formed and that modernization—by enabling trajectory‑based operations and more precise descent profiles—offers one avenue to reduce community noise by allowing aircraft to descend more efficiently and at lower power settings.
Why it matters: Lawmakers said any statutory language that reduces tracking or broadcast requirements for military aircraft in congested, mixed‑use airspace could increase the risk of mid‑air conflicts. Families affected by the Reagan National crash were present for the hearing, underscoring the human stakes behind the technical questions.
Next steps: Members said they will continue to press for technical consultation on pending legislation and for vigorous oversight of changes that could affect Capital Region airspace and national mitigation policies.