More than 165 ALPA pilot volunteers held more than 200 meetings on Capitol Hill during the week of June 1, pressing members of Congress to mandate integrated ADS-B In equipment across the U.S. airline fleet.

The push comes 17 months after the January 29, 2025 midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and PSA Flight 5342 in Washington, D.C., an accident the NTSB has linked in part to the limitations of existing collision-avoidance technology. The PSA CRJ crew relied on TCAS, which offers limited alerting time, insufficient audio information about nearby traffic, and is suppressed during descent into airport environments. Integrated ADS-B In with appropriate alerting would have given the pilots a direct display of surrounding aircraft, including the helicopter's position and altitude.

The legislative vehicle is twofold. The House passed the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act; the Senate passed the Rotorcript Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act. The two chambers are now reconciling the bills. ALPA's priority is Section 4 of the Senate legislation, which requires integrated ADS-B In situational awareness technology for airline pilots. Rep. Brian Jack (R-GA), who supported the ROTOR Act when the House considered it in February, heard that case directly from Georgia-based Delta pilots during the summit's 13th iteration.

The pilots came armed with specifics. In Jack's Longworth office, Delta first officer Alex Capogna showed a side-by-side simulation of what the PSA crew could see with current TCAS equipment versus ADS-B In, both rendered from 59 seconds before impact. "That's a massive amount of time when you're flying a jet," said F/O Elliot Couch, arguing the crew would have had ample time to react to the helicopter.

Other meetings underscored operational nuance. Capt. Sam Mason, an Airbus A330 pilot at Delta, told staff for Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) that his aircraft type already carries ADS-B In and that operators can disable it. "It feels like I'm flying naked without it," he said. F/O Bryan Patchen, a former U.S. Air Force B-52 pilot who now chairs ALPA's Aviation Security Group, told staff for Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) that the military helicopter's ADS-B In was switched off on the night of the accident — and that no military crew should disable the feature except on sensitive missions.

ALPA structured the summit as a two-day lobbying bootcamp before the June 3 Hill visits, moderated by Alaska Capt. Jim Hinz, vice chair of his pilot group's Government Affairs Committee. Association president Capt. Jason Ambrosi framed the stakes in his opening remarks: "Over ALPA's 95 years, it's been pilots like you who step up and advocate for the pilot-partisan agenda that makes aviation the safest form of transportation. Our union was founded on the fundamental truth that pilots are the most effective advocates for aviation safety." First vice president and national safety coordinator Capt. Wendy Morse told volunteers their value lies in "firsthand operational experience and practical knowledge on aviation issues that can only be developed by being out there every day flying the line."

Tim and Sheri Lilley, parents of PSA 5342 honorary Capt. Sam Lilley, addressed attendees and joined an ALPA press conference. "We have an opportunity to make changes from the lessons learned," Tim Lilley said, noting the families' view that the accident was easily avoidable. Ambrosi also gave television interviews in congressional districts where members are finalizing the legislation, and ALPA sponsored Politico's Weekly Transportation newsletter to carry the ADS-B In argument to decision-makers' inboxes.

Key lawmakers echoed the pilots. "I trust my life and my family's life to our pilots and our airlines," Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) told volunteers. Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said pilots carry "a special kind of credibility" on safety. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), who sits on both the transportation panel and the Aviation Safety Caucus, said, "We have a responsibility to do all that we can to prevent tragedies. The worst thing we can do is nothing." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who chairs the Commerce Committee, met with a group of ALPA constituents.

At the summit's advocacy awards dinner, ALPA named Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) its 2026 Pilot Partisan of the Year for championing ADS-B In requirements — including two letters backing ROTOR Act provisions — and for founding and leading the Aviation Safety Caucus. The union also recognized 30 pilot A-Team members from Delta, United, Alaska, Endeavor, Frontier, JetBlue and FedEx Express for fundraising, district advocacy and social media work.

What is certified and flying today remains uneven: some fleets, like Delta's A330s, already carry ADS-B In, while the mandate itself is still a conference-committee question. With both chambers working to reconcile the ALERT and ROTOR Acts, the deciding factor for fleetwide adoption may be whether Section 4 survives the final text.