On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ALERT Act, aviation safety legislation designed to prevent a repeat of last year’s fatal collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial aircraft
The Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026 cleared the House by a 396–10 vote, underscoring broad bipartisan support for reforms tied to the accident that exposed gaps in coordination, airspace management, and risk awareness in congested terminal environments.
Rather than focusing on a single point of failure, the ALERT Act takes a system-wide approach. Lawmakers say it incorporates recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation, with an emphasis on identifying and mitigating risks before they lead to incidents.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) praised the measure, citing provisions that would require ADS-B In in ADS-B Out airspace, permit portable units for Part 91 operations, and support future equipage of airliners with next-generation collision-avoidance systems. AOPA also commended the legislation for including key provisions from the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA), which prohibits the use of ADS-B for anything other than its original purpose—safety and airspace efficiency.
“By including PAPA, this bill is positioned to dramatically enhance aviation safety—as it ensures there is no disincentive for pilots to not use this important technology,” said AOPA Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy Jim Coon.
The ALERT Act now heads to a House–Senate conference committee, where lawmakers will reconcile it with the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, which cleared the Senate in late 2025 but stalled in the House in February.