Michael Graham, President Trump’s nominee for reappointment to the National Transportation Safety Board, told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on the record that he supports broader adoption of automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS‑B) technology and that requiring ADS‑B In/Out in congested airspace would make the flying public safer.

Senators pressed Graham about gaps between NTSB safety recommendations and regulatory action, citing the agency’s 34 recommendations after the East Palestine derailment and NTSB findings of more than 15,000 near‑miss incidents between commercial aircraft and helicopters in the three years before the fatal mid‑air collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people. Ranking Member Maria Cantwell said most of the NTSB recommendations related to East Palestine remain open and urged that reauthorization legislation address them.

Graham, who described himself as a naval aviator and a longtime aviation safety professional, said it would be “inappropriate” to draw final conclusions about the DCA mid‑air collision before the NTSB issues its finished report. At the same time he endorsed the safety potential of ADS‑B when implemented correctly and described the technology’s value both in control towers and in cockpits. “I believe in the ADSB technology in the future,” Graham said. “And, in my personal opinion, all aircraft should have that on, and when they’re operating in that area.”

Committee Chair Ted Cruz asked whether the flying public would be safer if a bill such as the Rotor Act required ADS‑B In/Out. While the NTSB does not normally endorse legislation, Graham said the board’s recommendations are intended to inform regulators and Congress and answered directly to the chair’s question: “Would the flying public be safer if ADSB in and out were required? Yes.”

Cantwell and other senators asked why the FAA has not implemented long‑standing safety recommendations, and Graham said the NTSB must continue to advocate for adoption while acknowledging the limits of the board’s authority: the NTSB investigates and issues recommendations; it does not regulate. Graham described a recent exchange in which he urged the FAA chair at a committee hearing to implement recommendations and said the FAA later held a forum acknowledging the need for action.

Senators also raised the issue of military aircraft operations in civilian airspace and noted the Army’s use of ADS‑B transmit‑off operations in some missions; Graham and senators agreed those practices merit careful review. Alaska‑focused questions emphasized the state’s high aviation fatality rates and the FAA’s Alaska Safety Initiative (FASI). Graham committed to work with senators and local stakeholders on measures to reduce Alaska’s crash and death rates and to explore GPS‑based procedure improvements in remote airports.

The committee did not take any formal regulatory action during the hearing. Graham pledged to continue advocating for implementation of NTSB recommendations if re‑confirmed and to work with senators on legislation and regulatory follow‑through.