Six months after the tragic midair collision that killed 67 people near Reagan National Airport, victims’ families joined lawmakers on Capitol Hill to introduce legislation to make air travel safer.
January’s crash between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter was the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001.
Tim and Sheri Lilley lost their son Sam in the crash. Sam was the first officer on American Airlines Flight 5342.
“This is not going to be Sam’s legacy to die in vain,” his father said. “Sixty-seven really great people lost their lives that night, and there’s no reason for that.”
The Lilleys support the new legislation requiring all aircraft have transponders known as ADS-B systems turned on at all times. It’s a system that broadcasts an aircraft’s position in real time and is said to be faster than other technology currently in use.
“This is a very personal matter for all of us, but we hope that by being here and sharing our story, you all buy into this also,” Sheri Lilley said.
The night of the crash, the Army helicopter did not have its ADS-B system fully operating.
“The NTSB first recommended ADS-B in nearly 20 years ago,” said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. “We are going to make that happen this year.”
“And for damn sure they need to turn them on,” said U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. “They need to turn them on when they are in those airspaces. The military, if they are going to be in the airspace, they need to turn on their transponders.”
“This is not about politics for us; it’s about saving lives,” said Doug Lane, whose wife and son died in the crash. “Every meaningful step towards transparency, accountability and safer skies is a victory for every family who has suffered an unimaginable loss.”
The NTSB said definitively Tuesday that the legislation will save lives.
Three days of hearings about the crash start Wednesday at NTSB headquarters in Washington. These fact-finding missions should reveal more about what happened that night, but officials said they are not at a point where they will make safety recommendations.
Helicopter flight path restrictions that were put in place around Reagan National after the crash will continue, officials said.
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