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National Transportation Safety Board: Difference between revisions
National Transportation Safety Board (view source)
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{{Organization | |||
|OrganizationName=National Transportation Safety Board | |||
|OrganizationType=Independent Agencies | |||
|Mission=The National Transportation Safety Board investigates transportation accidents to determine probable causes, issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents, and promotes transportation safety across all modes of transportation including aviation, highway, marine, rail, and pipeline. | |||
|CreationLegislation=Department of Transportation Act of 1966 | |||
|Employees=400 | |||
|Budget=$121 million (Fiscal Year 2023) | |||
|OrganizationExecutive=Chairperson | |||
|Services=Accident investigation; Safety recommendations; Advocacy for transportation safety; Public education | |||
|HeadquartersLocation=38.88375, -77.02441 | |||
|HeadquartersAddress=490 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20594, USA | |||
|Website=https://www.ntsb.gov | |||
}} | |||
{{Short description|US government investigative agency for civil transportation accidents}} | {{Short description|US government investigative agency for civil transportation accidents}} | ||
{{Infobox government agency | {{Infobox government agency | ||
| agency_name = National Transportation Safety Board | | agency_name = National Transportation Safety Board | ||
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| jurisdiction = [[United States]] | | jurisdiction = [[United States]] | ||
| employees = 437 (2024)<ref name="NTSB Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Media Briefing">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/live/kGWLBLb9Pm4?si=plwecZC49PpbiqH1 |title=NTSB Media Brief - Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 (Jan 8) livestream |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |access-date=January 10, 2024 }}</ref> | | employees = 437 (2024)<ref name="NTSB Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Media Briefing">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/live/kGWLBLb9Pm4?si=plwecZC49PpbiqH1 |title=NTSB Media Brief - Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 (Jan 8) livestream |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |access-date=January 10, 2024 }}</ref> | ||
| budget = | | budget = US$145 million (2024) | ||
| headquarters = 490 [[L'Enfant Plaza|L'Enfant Plaza SW]], [[Washington, D.C.]] | | headquarters = 490 [[L'Enfant Plaza|L'Enfant Plaza SW]], [[Washington, D.C.]] | ||
| chief1_name = [[Jennifer Homendy]] | | chief1_name = [[Jennifer Homendy]] | ||
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}} | }} | ||
The '''National Transportation Safety Board''' ('''NTSB''') is an [[Independent agencies of the United States government|independent U.S. government investigative agency]] responsible for civil transportation [[accident investigation]]. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on [[aviation accidents and incidents]], certain types of [[car accident|highway crashes]], [[ship transport|ship and marine accidents]], [[pipeline transport|pipeline incidents]], [[list of bridge failures|bridge failures]], and [[railroad accident]]s.<ref name="49 USC 1131">{{usc|49|1131}}</ref> The NTSB is also in charge of investigating cases of [[hazardous materials]] releases that occur during transportation. The agency is based in [[Washington, D.C.]] It has four regional offices, located in [[Anchorage, Alaska]]; [[Denver, Colorado]]; [[Ashburn, Virginia]]; and [[Seattle, Washington]] | The '''National Transportation Safety Board''' ('''NTSB''') is an [[Independent agencies of the United States government|independent U.S. government investigative agency]] responsible for civil transportation [[accident investigation]]. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on [[aviation accidents and incidents]], certain types of [[car accident|highway crashes]], [[ship transport|ship and marine accidents]], [[pipeline transport|pipeline incidents]], [[list of bridge failures|bridge failures]], and [[railroad accident]]s.<ref name="49 USC 1131">{{usc|49|1131}}</ref> The NTSB is also in charge of investigating cases of [[hazardous materials]] releases that occur during transportation. The agency is based in [[Washington, D.C.]] | ||
It has four regional offices, located in | |||
* [[Anchorage, Alaska]]; | |||
* [[Denver, Colorado]]; | |||
* [[Ashburn, Virginia]]; and | |||
* [[Seattle, Washington]]<ref name="Archives Inspection">{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/resources/ntsb-inspection.pdf |title=Records Management Oversight Inspection Report 2014 |author=Office of the Chief Records Officer |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |date=December 19, 2014 |access-date=December 20, 2015 |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315214421/https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/resources/ntsb-inspection.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
The agency also operated a national training center at its Ashburn facility.<ref name="NTSB Training Center">{{cite web |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/training_center/Pages/TrainingCenter.aspx |title=NTSB Training Center |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |access-date=December 20, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222154152/http://www.ntsb.gov/training_center/Pages/TrainingCenter.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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The NTSB considers the party system crucial to the investigative process, as it provides the NTSB with access to individuals with specialized expertise or knowledge relevant to a particular investigation.<ref name="What is the NTSB" /><ref name="Ferguson Aviation Safety" /> However, the use of the party system is not without controversy. The NTSB invited [[Boeing]] to participate as a party to the investigation of the crash of [[TWA Flight 800]], a [[Boeing 747]], in 1996. While the NTSB relied on Boeing's sharing of expertise, it was later determined that Boeing had withheld a study of military versions of the 747 that investigated flammable vapor combustion in the center fuel tank.<ref name="Salon 1996">{{cite news |url=http://www.salon.com/1999/12/06/ntsb_2/ |title=Crash course in ethics |last=Alvear |first=Michael |work=Salon |date=December 6, 1996 |access-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602000433/http://www.salon.com/1999/12/06/ntsb_2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Boeing had told the NTSB that it had no studies proving or disproving the vapor combustion theory.<ref name="Salon 1996"/> In response to political pressure after the Boeing incident, the NTSB commissioned the nonprofit [[Rand Corporation]] to conduct an independent study of the NTSB's aircraft investigation process.<ref name="Salon 1996" /> | The NTSB considers the party system crucial to the investigative process, as it provides the NTSB with access to individuals with specialized expertise or knowledge relevant to a particular investigation.<ref name="What is the NTSB" /><ref name="Ferguson Aviation Safety" /> However, the use of the party system is not without controversy. The NTSB invited [[Boeing]] to participate as a party to the investigation of the crash of [[TWA Flight 800]], a [[Boeing 747]], in 1996. While the NTSB relied on Boeing's sharing of expertise, it was later determined that Boeing had withheld a study of military versions of the 747 that investigated flammable vapor combustion in the center fuel tank.<ref name="Salon 1996">{{cite news |url=http://www.salon.com/1999/12/06/ntsb_2/ |title=Crash course in ethics |last=Alvear |first=Michael |work=Salon |date=December 6, 1996 |access-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602000433/http://www.salon.com/1999/12/06/ntsb_2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Boeing had told the NTSB that it had no studies proving or disproving the vapor combustion theory.<ref name="Salon 1996"/> In response to political pressure after the Boeing incident, the NTSB commissioned the nonprofit [[Rand Corporation]] to conduct an independent study of the NTSB's aircraft investigation process.<ref name="Salon 1996" /> | ||
In 2000, Rand published its report, which concluded that the party system is "a key component of the NTSB investigative process" and that participant parties "are uniquely able to provide essential information about aircraft design and manufacture, airline operations, or functioning of [the National Airspace System] that simply cannot be obtained elsewhere".<ref name="RAND Report">{{cite web |url=http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/MR1122.pdf |title=Safety in the Skies: Personnel and Parties in NTSB Aviation Accident Investigations |publisher=[[RAND Corporation]] |date=January 1, 2000 |access-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-date=October 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021120159/http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/MR1122.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|31}} However, Rand also found conflicts of interest inherent in the party system, "may, in some instances, threaten the integrity of the NTSB investigative process".<ref name="RAND Report" />{{rp|30}} The Rand study recommended that the NTSB reduce its reliance on party representatives and make greater use of independent investigators, including from [[NASA]], the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], government research laboratories, and universities.<ref name="RAND Report" />{{rp|31–32}} {{As of|2014|df=US}}, the NTSB has not adopted these recommendations and instead continues to rely on the party system.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/12/unfit-for-flight-part-2/10405451/ |title=Unchecked carnage: NTSB probes are skimpy for small-aircraft crashes |newspaper= | In 2000, Rand published its report, which concluded that the party system is "a key component of the NTSB investigative process" and that participant parties "are uniquely able to provide essential information about aircraft design and manufacture, airline operations, or functioning of [the National Airspace System] that simply cannot be obtained elsewhere".<ref name="RAND Report">{{cite web |url=http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/MR1122.pdf |title=Safety in the Skies: Personnel and Parties in NTSB Aviation Accident Investigations |publisher=[[RAND Corporation]] |date=January 1, 2000 |access-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-date=October 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021120159/http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/MR1122.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|31}} However, Rand also found conflicts of interest inherent in the party system, "may, in some instances, threaten the integrity of the NTSB investigative process".<ref name="RAND Report" />{{rp|30}} The Rand study recommended that the NTSB reduce its reliance on party representatives and make greater use of independent investigators, including from [[NASA]], the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], government research laboratories, and universities.<ref name="RAND Report" />{{rp|31–32}} {{As of|2014|df=US}}, the NTSB has not adopted these recommendations and instead continues to rely on the party system.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/12/unfit-for-flight-part-2/10405451/ |title=Unchecked carnage: NTSB probes are skimpy for small-aircraft crashes |newspaper=USA Today |date=June 12, 2014 |access-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505145819/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/12/unfit-for-flight-part-2/10405451/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
==Safety recommendations== | ==Safety recommendations== | ||