Barrett: After D.C. Helicopter Crash, I Got to Work and Congress Delivered

In case you missed it, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) wrote an op-ed in the Washington Examinertoday about the new law he successfully spearheaded in response to the mid-air crash over D.C. last January. A retired Army helicopter pilot who logged more than 1,000 flight hours, Barrett authored the Military Helicopter Training Safety Act, which begins the process of equipping military helicopters with anti-crash technology. In this op-ed, Barrett discusses his legislation, highlights its importance for aviation safety, and touts the bipartisan success he achieved within a year of the crash - and within a year of taking office.

You can read the op-ed hereor below.

In the dark evening hours of Jan. 29, a tragic crash above the Potomac River illuminated serious flaws in aviation safety. Flying remains the safest means of transportation, but the deadly collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopterwas a sobering reminder that air travel is still vulnerable to fatal mishaps.

I piloted helicopters in the Army, including Black Hawks, such as the one involved in the tragedy. So in my new role as a member of Congress, I took the crash as a personal call to action. Congress is not known for taking timely action, but on the night of the crash, I was already communicating with some of the best pilots I knew to get their insight and advice. Less than a year later, the bill I introduced to start the process of equipping militaryhelicopters with crash avoidance technology has become law. With PresidentDonald Trump's signature, my bill will not only help make our skies safer, but it will also show that the people's representatives can work together to address serious matters.

As the investigation has shown, multiple factors likely contributed to the crash near Washington, including altitude discrepancies, communication lapses, disabled positioning equipment, misidentification by the Army crew of which airplane to avoid, and strains on air traffic controllers. Early on, I knew that one particular factor might have made the difference between life and death for the 67 people killed in that crash. Our military helicopters are not equipped with the interactive anti-crash systems that commercial airplanes have, even though training missions often fly through crowded civilian airspace.

Traffic alert and collision avoidance systems operate in conjunction with the same systems in nearby aircraft. If two planes get too close, their respective systems direct the pilots to make evasive maneuvers - instructing one to climb and the other to descend, for example. However, this system only operates at its full ability when both aircraft have it installed and operating.

Additionally, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast technology enables aircraft to receive critical position data from other nearby aircraft and weather data from air traffic control.

Military training should not put civilians in harm's way, so I made it my mission to get TCAS and ADS-B In installed in our military helicopter fleet. While we will never know for certain if either of these technologieswould have averted the disaster, adding the systems to our military helicopters can certainly reduce the risk of similar crashes in the future. My bill takes a huge stride toward achieving that goal.

I introduced the Military Helicopter Training Safety Act in March, only five weeks after the crash, then got it added to the annual National DefenseAuthorization Act, which sets policy and authorizes spending for our armed forces. Trump signed the NDAA into law in December after it passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

The law launches the process necessary for equipping military helicopters with TCAS and ADS-B In. The Department of Defense will now undertake an analysis of how to upgrade the fleet and add these critical improvements without compromising tactical or operational effectiveness. Once this review is complete, Congress and the department can make informed decisions before spending the people's money or setting new policies for military flights.

In addition to calculating the possible price tag for taxpayers and any necessary cockpit reconfigurations, the department will review specifically how the additional technology would affect aviation safety in civilian airspace, so we can measure the expected benefits against the costs. The study will also identify how the upgrades would affect training, combat, and our national security. Incorporating these technologies should not threaten the safety of our men and women in uniform by giving away a helicopter's position in combat or an evacuation flight. But if our helicopters have the crash avoidance capabilities to activate while flying in congested civilian airspace, we can maintain our national security without perpetuating unnecessary risks to air travelers.

My colleagues joined me in taking swift action in response to the tragic crash. For Congress, 11 months is jet speed. But the work is not over. Once the Defense Department submits its report to Congress - no later than June - we will need to take the next steps: appropriating funds to pay for the installation and crafting rules for using the technology in a way that saves lives and maintains stealth for sensitive missions.

If we continue the constructive cooperation that got my bill across the finish line, I'm confident we will follow through to protect civilian air travelers, as well as the military pilots and crew flying helicopter missions just like I did.