On Feb. 12, 2026, the Air Line Pilots Association announced its advocacy for the passage of the ROTOR Act in the House of Representatives, aiming to address aviation safety gaps highlighted by the PSA Flight 5342 crash.
The association said that closing these safety gaps is necessary to prevent future tragedies similar to PSA Flight 5342. The ROTOR Act, which passed unanimously in the Senate, remains stalled in the House. According to a post by the Air Line Pilots Association on X, “it is working to ensure a tragedy like PSA Flight 5342 never happens again. According to the post, the ROTOR Act would close dangerous safety gaps but is stalled in the House after passing the Senate unanimously. ALPA provided a link for individuals to contact their representatives to make skies safer.” (Source).
Recent data from the National Transportation Safety Board reported over 15,000 close proximity events between airplanes and helicopters near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from 2021 to 2024. This included 85 events with less than 1,500 feet lateral and 200 feet vertical separation, revealing significant risks in DC airspace. Stakeholders had limited awareness of these indicators prior to the PSA Flight 5342 incident (Source).
Aviation safety statistics show that airplane crashes in the United States occur at a rate of 6.84 per 100,000 flight hours, with fatal crashes at a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 flight hours. While mid-air collisions are rare, “the 2025 Potomac River incident was the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001.” National efforts such as technology mandates continue across the industry (Source).
The Air Line Pilots Association represents more than 80,000 pilots at forty-two U.S. and Canadian airlines and was founded in 1931. Its focus includes enhancing pilot safety and advocating for legislative changes that benefit aviation sector workers and passengers alike (Source).
