Hearing Report: NTSB Chair Discusses DCA Crash and Endorses PAPA Bill in Senate Commerce Hearing
February 12, 2026
The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing today regarding the NTSB’s investigation into the January 2025 DCA midair collision involving American Eagle flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, serving as the only witness, was critical of the FAA’s safety culture, pushed for enactment of all 50 NTSB recommendation, including those included in the ROTOR Act and forcefully endorsed Sen. Ted Budd’s (R-NC) legislation to restrict airport from using ADS-B for fee collection.
Hearing Overview:
During her testimony, Chair Homendy detailed how the crash resulted from inadequate safety technology, weak FAA safety management and data practices, and poor coordination between the FAA, the Army, and other agencies. A central focus for both Homendy as well as Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) was the life saving potential of universal ADS B In, which, according to NTSB’s investigation, would likely have prevented the collision by giving both the helicopter and AA flight 5342 timely alerts to take evasive action. Senators repeatedly referenced the bipartisan Rotor Act, which passed the Senate unanimously in late 2025. The bill would mandate ADS B In/Out in congested airspace, require reassessment of helicopter routes, and strengthen systemic safety oversight. Homendy stressed that ADS B technology is affordable, citing roughly $400 for basic general aviation equipage and under $50,000 per airliner for retrofit.
Additionally, Homendy criticized the FAA’s fragmented data systems, lack of a standard definition for “near miss,” chronic underuse of safety data, and a poor safety culture where employees feared retaliation for raising concerns. Senators highlighted longstanding failures to review helicopter route 4, longstanding controller warnings that never rose through the bureaucracy, and even a nonfunctional hotline between the Pentagon and DCA towers that went unnoticed for years, all underscoring systemic coordination and governance breakdowns.
Endorsement of PAPA Bill:
A key portion of the hearing focused on Homendy’s support for the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA), sponsored by Senator Budd. Budd described airports and third party companies have begun using ADS B Out data to track general aviation aircraft in order to assess landing and ramp fees, claiming it creates a financial disincentive for operators to install or use ADS B. Homendy was unequivocal that this use of ADS B is inappropriate in her view, stating that ADS B is a safety tool and should be used for safety, not as a revenue generator. She agreed with Budd's opinion that using ADS B data to collect fees would discourage pilots and aircraft owners from installing or turning on ADS B equipment, thereby undermining safety. When asked directly whether policymakers should "address incentive structures that discourage installation and use of ADS B Out", she indicated support and explicitly welcomed Budd’s legislative proposal, saying she hopes his bill moves forward.
Call to Action:
As has been mentioned on weekly Federal Affairs calls, the House is working on legislation in response to the DCA crash that will likely include ADS-B requirements. Given today’s remarks and Chair Graves’ support for PAPA, it is important that you continue to reach out to members of the House T&I Committee to raise concerns about the negative impact of the bill. For additional details on the legislation, please refer our alert from Jan. 26 at this link.
