By Nicholas Werner March 20, 2026 8:52 am EST
Luke Hales/Getty Images
The FAA had already restricted the use of visual separation at the Reagan National Airport after the Potomac crash. This new ruling makes that temporary restriction permanent. Well, "permanent": the official decree self-destructs on December 24, 2026. Merry Christmas! Given the political momentum behind doing something, anything, in response to the crash, this will likely be extended or perhaps replaced with a more elaborate ruling.
Unfortunately, most of the efforts to prevent the next crash have stalled. The ROTOR Act, the primary bill meant to change flight safety for the better, was struck down in the House of Representatives and does not have a clear path forward. The NTSB is sitting on dozens of recommendations that neither Congress nor the FAA have acted on. Air crashes used to be one of those things that everyone agreed needed to be addressed and fixed immediately. Apparently, we don't live in that world anymore. At least here, the FAA has taken a legitimately important step. Let's hope more follow soon.
Context:
FAA bans visual separation near major airports, requiring air traffic controllers to directly guide all aircraft.
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This addresses a safety gap that contributed to 40 crashes over 15 years, including the deadly Potomac River collision.
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The rule expires December 24, 2026, while broader aviation safety reforms remain stalled in Congress.