U.S. military helicopters operating in or near busy domestic airspace could soon face new alert requirements aimed at reducing the risk of midair collisions. Under language in the annual defense policy bill released late Sunday, helicopters on training missions in “highly trafficked domestic airspace” would need to broadcast position alerts to nearby commercial aircraft. The proposal follows the January collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter not using ADS-B and a CRJ700 regional jet, an accident that killed 67 people just outside Washington.
The 3,000-page legislation would also direct the Pentagon to disclose the number of near misses between military and commercial aircraft over the past decade and issue annual reports going forward.
It does not specify what kind of alerting technology would be required, though the Defense Department could waive the mandate if a risk assessment shows hazards can be mitigated. In October, the Senate Commerce Committee advanced a separate bill calling for ADS-B use after the January crash.
Committee chair Ted Cruz said at the time that the measure “closes a dangerous loophole that allowed military aircraft to operate in domestic skies without communicating their position quickly and accurately.”
Lawmakers from both parties and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have questioned why the FAA did not take earlier action on long-standing helicopter safety concerns around Reagan National. The defense bill would require safety reviews at major airports and order the Army Inspector General to conduct a safety coordination audit.
Infortunately this is a case of knee jerk reaction.
Spending a lot of money to do anything that appears to do something, but wasnt really a factor.
Typical politicians.
The fact is the helicopter crew was alerted and verified the traffic, and was not within their assigned airspace.
Pilot errors.
Adding an electronic alert that is inhibited at that altitude will not change anything.
Nor effect those pilot errors.
Actual measures that would prove more mitigating would be a rewrite of the airspace providing more seperation.