Following Deadly Midair Collision, Davids Passes Bipartisan Aviation Safety Bill Out of Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Sharice Davids released the following statement after voting in the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to support the ALERT Act, bipartisan legislation she introduced to modernize aviation safety systems, strengthen air traffic controller training, and reduce the risk of future tragedies. The bill is supported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates aviation accidents and issues recommendations to prevent future incidents.

“Since last year’s devastating midair collision, I’ve stayed in close contact with the Kansas families who lost loved ones. Their grief is something no one should have to carry — and their courage in pushing for meaningful change has guided this process every step of the way.

“I’m proud to have helped lead the bipartisan ALERT Act and to vote for it today because it reflects their voices and has earned strong support from aviation safety experts. It takes important, evidence-based steps to strengthen training, modernize safety systems, and reduce the risk of future midair collisions.

“No bill can undo the pain these families have experienced. But we have a responsibility to listen, to act, and to make our aviation system safer for everyone — from passengers and crew to military personnel and communities on the ground. This is an important step forward, but it is not final. I also voted to pass reforms proposed by the Senate and I’ll keep working with Kansas families, safety experts, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen the final product, work through differences, and deliver a solution that improves safety while bringing everyone to the table.”

Background:

On January 29, 2025, Flight 5342 departed Wichita, KS (ICT), bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). As the flight approached its destination, it collided midair with a military training helicopter, tragically killing the two pilots, two flight attendants, and 60 passengers on the airplane, along with all three crew members aboard the helicopter.

The ALERT Act, split between civilian air travel and military aircraft safety, is informed by recommendations from the NTSB and addresses concerns about airspace congestion, communication failures, outdated collision-avoidance systems, and coordination between civilian and military aircraft. 

Specifically, the ALERT Act would:

• Upgrade Aircraft Collision Warning Systems
  • Direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to evaluate and implement improvements to advanced collision-avoidance technology on commercial aircraft.
  • Establish a timeline for deploying updated systems that provide earlier and clearer warnings to pilots.
• Strengthen Air Traffic Controller Training
  • Create expert working groups to modernize controller training standards.
  • Improve risk assessment tools to help controllers identify hazards in real time.
  • Increase transparency if safety recommendations are not adopted.
• Improve Airspace Communication
  • Study technology that detects “blocked transmissions,” which occur when radio messages overlap and critical information is lost.
  • Provide Congress with cost and implementation recommendations.
• Review Airspace Congestion and Airport Capacity
  • Require the FAA to assess safe arrival and departure rates at congested airports.
  • Review aircraft spacing requirements in complex airspace environments.
• Enhance Military Aviation Safety
  • Require closer coordination between the Department of Defense and the FAA on collision-avoidance systems.
  • Strengthen helicopter safety management systems, particularly in shared civilian-military airspace.
• And more

Davids also previously voted to support the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act – a bipartisan bill aimed at improving aviation safety standards. Although it failed to pass the U.S. House, it is supported by the victims’ families and safety professionals. 

Following the tragic collision, Davids has taken several additional steps to improve aviation safety and honor the lives lost:

• Met with the victims’ families in Wichita and pledged to be a voice for transparency and reform in the investigation.
• Pressed FAA and NTSB experts in a U.S. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on air traffic controller shortages and safety protocols.
• Toured the Olathe Air Traffic Control Center to highlight critical staffing needs and renew her call for increased investments in aviation safety infrastructure.
• Responded to initial NTSB recommendations with a commitment to act on any legislative fixes needed to keep passengers and crew safe.
• Pledged to act on recommendations from an initial NTSB investigative hearing on the tragic midair collision.
• Honored the one-year anniversary by submitting a statement into the Congressional Record pledging continued action to prevent future tragedies.

Davids serves on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has long championed bipartisan efforts to support innovation and strengthen aviation safety standards, including by helping pass into law a bipartisan FAA reauthorization.