May 22-28, 2021, has been designated as National Safe Boating Week, which kicks off a yearlong campaign promoting the importance of wearing a life jacket. In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @ NTSB, we talk with Morgan Turrell, Director, NTSB Office of Marine Safety, about the 2021-2022 Most Wanted List safety item Improve Passenger and Fishing Vessel … Continue reading Episode 39: Marine Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt May 22–28 is National Safe Boating Week, calling to mind well known campaigns against boating while intoxicated, distracted operations, and promoting proper use of life jackets on watercraft. But the present NTSB Most Wanted List puts a special emphasis on a lesser-known issue: the safety of passenger vessels and commercial … Continue reading Improving Passenger and Fishing Vessel Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Thomas Chapman An estimated 42,000 traffic deaths occurred in 2020. This is an alarming number. From 2014 to 2019, overall traffic fatalities increased by 10 percent. Over the same period, however, annual traffic deaths among vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists) jumped from 9,935 to 12,062— a 21 percent increase. If you … Continue reading A Safe System Approach to Traffic Safety Roundtable→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and we launched our 2021–2022 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements on April 6. It seemed only natural that we begin our Most Wanted List blog series with the item, “Eliminate Distracted Driving.” Crashes involving distracted drivers killed 3,142 people in 2019—up … Continue reading Eliminate Distracted Driving→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Robert Molloy, PhD, Director, NTSB Office of Highway Safety If you’re driving down a divided highway and see headlights coming right at you, or hear screeching tires and see cars and trucks swerving to get out of your way, it’s probably an indication you’re heading in the wrong direction. Another indicator may be the … Continue reading Let’s Stop Going the Wrong Way→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chairman Robert Sumwalt I grew up in the South, and people sometimes say we do things slowly in that part of the country. Whether there’s any validity to that claim, I can’t say with certainty. What I can say with great certainty, however, is that speed isn’t an attribute commonly associated with the Federal … Continue reading Twelve Years After Colgan 3407, FAA Still Hasn’t Implemented Pilot Records Database→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Jennifer Homendy After 50 years of investigation, advocacy, and persistence by the NTSB, positive train control (PTC) is now a reality across the country! PTC systems use GPS and other technology to prevent certain train collisions and derailments. It could have been lifesaving in the 154 rail accidents that have killed more than … Continue reading We Can Do Big Things. Just Look at Positive Train Control→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Tom Chapman The holiday season is a time of increased impaired-driving crashes. Accordingly, December has been designated National Impaired Driving Prevention Month to draw attention to the 100-percent preventable traffic fatalities and injuries attributed to impaired driving. In 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,511 people were killed in … Continue reading Drive Sober And Save Lives This Holiday Season→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, we talk with Member Jennifer Homendy and Tim DePaepe, Railroad Accident Investigator, Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Investigations, about Positive Train Control (PTC), NTSB PTC-related investigations and recommendations and other rail safety issues. Fully Implement Positive Train Control is on the NTSB 2019-2020 Most Wanted List. Member Homendy’s full bio … Continue reading Episode 38: Positive Train Control→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chairman Robert Sumwalt It’s been quite a year! This time last year, none of us had heard of COVID-19. It’s still difficult to process the profound effect that this crisis has had, and continues to have, on people’s lives and on society. At the NTSB, we understand all too well the duality of a … Continue reading Resilience in a Time of Crisis: NTSB Employees Shine Despite Uncertainty→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
Shaun Williams, Senior Aviation Accident Investigator, and Amy Terrone, Safety Advocate Ever paid for a helicopter tour over a scenic spot, like the islands of Hawaii or the Grand Canyon? Ever needed an emergency medical flight to a hospital or known someone who has? Ever joined the company CEO on a chartered flight to visit … Continue reading The Safety of ‘Part 135’ Flights—Why Should You Care?→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Tom Chapman Is it possible to have a sleep disorder and not know it? From personal experience, I can tell you the answer is yes. A few years ago, my doctor told me that I was at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is a sleep disorder involving episodes of airway obstruction … Continue reading Screening Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Can Save Lives→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Jennifer Homendy When you think of common ways drivers are distracted on the road, you probably think of talking or texting on mobile devices, eating, reading, or perhaps even putting on makeup or shaving. It’s easy to recognize that these risky behaviors are distractions. There are even laws on the books in several … Continue reading It’s Past Time to Think About Cognitive Distraction→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
The blog was co-authored by: Bruce Landsberg, Vice-Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board Lorraine Martin, President & CEO, National Safety Council By now, we all should be aware of the deadly consequences of distracted driving. Yet, driving while distracted by cell phone use has become too common an occurrence on the nation’s roads. This must stop. … Continue reading Joining Forces on Distracted Driving→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Nicholas Worrell, Chief, NTSB Safety Advocacy Division Sunday, November 15, is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. I’ve known many of you who have lost loved ones this way, and I’ve worked alongside many survivor advocates for years. Along with the courage and strength I’ve seen among these survivors, it’s plain to me that … Continue reading World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Robert Molloy, PhD, Director, NTSB Office of Highway Safety As we wrap up Drowsy Driving Prevention week, I want to remind drivers about the importance of getting adequate rest before operating …| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, we introduce our new podcast co-host, NTSB Transportation Safety Specialist Anthony Lam, and learn about his background in aviation safety and podcasting. We also say “farewell, and thanks” to Stephanie Shaw, as she steps down from her co-hosting role to focus on other initiatives at NTSB. Subscribe to us … Continue reading Episode 59: NTSB Transportation Safety Specialist Anthony Lam→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Office of Member J. Todd Inman One of the primary functions of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is to advocate for safe transportation practices and for the safety recommendations issued by the Board. At the end of July, NTSB Board Member J. Todd Inman took his first advocacy trip as a Board member … Continue reading Navigating the Vast Expanse: NTSB’s Commitment to Aviation Safety in Alaska→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Sophia Peerzada, Safety Advocate The NTSB published a safety research report in 2022 on micromobility recommending that states begin tracking and collecting data on crashes involving e-scooters …| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In a new episode of our Behind the Scene @NTSB podcast, we talk with Ellen Lee, Project Manager and Brian Bragonier, Investigator, both in the Office of Highway Safety, about the January 29, 2022, …| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Anthony Lam, Transportation Safety Specialist, Office of Safety Recommendations and Communications As the much-anticipated EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 approaches, the NTSB wants to remind all at…| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
Anthony Lam, NTSB Transportation Safety Specialist, Office of Safety Recommendations and Communications In a significant move toward enhancing aviation safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently mandated safety management systems (SMSs) for Part 135 operators, Part 91.147 air tour operators, and certain aircraft manufacturers. This ruling comes in response to the pressing need for proactive … Continue reading From Advocacy to Action: the NTSB’s Longstanding Advocacy Spurs ...| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By NTSB Safety Advocacy Division Last week, NTSB Board Member Thomas Chapman and agency staff spoke at the Safe Mobility Conference, hosted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Attendees came from throughout government, industry, academia, the research community, advocacy, and other key stakeholder groups. … Continue reading NTSB at Safe Mobility→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB we talk with NTSB Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Investigations’ HazMat Branch about their work to improve transportation safety. To read some of the investigative reports discussed in this episode, visit our webpage. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast platform. And find … Continue reading Episode 57: Hazardous Materials Branch→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Stephanie Matonek, NTSB Transportation Disaster Assistance Specialist Today, the third International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and their Families, we join with survivors in remembering those they have lost. Three years ago, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), in cooperation with the Air Crash Victims’ Families’ Federation International (ACVFFI), designated February 20 the International … Continue reading NTSB and Partners Help Air Crash Victims and Their F...| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, we talk with staff from the Office of Marine Safety, the Office of Railroad, Pipeline, and Hazardous Materials Investigations, and the Office of Research and Engineering, about the investigation of the 2021 Anchor Strike of Underwater Pipeline and Eventual Crude Oil Release in San Pedro Bay off the coast … Continue reading Episode 56: San Pedro Bay Marine and Pipeline Investigation→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
“Yes, And” Approach Also Retains Familiar Excel Tables By NTSB Safety Advocacy Team Before reading any further, start exploring this dashboard. Addictive, right? If you care about aviation accidents, the NTSB’s dashboards get the statistics to you in an interactive format that always seems to have another layer to discover. If you use the NTSB’s … Continue reading Accident Data Dashboards: Power to the User→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Jeff Marcus, Chief, NTSB Safety Recommendations Division From the Wright brothers’ first flight on December 17, 1903, to today, aviation has made remarkable progress. The affordability, speed, capacity, comfort, and, most importantly, safety of flight have all improved to the point that flying is one of the safest modes of transportation. But that safety … Continue reading How Tragedy Led to Trust: National Aviation History Month→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Nicholas Worrell, Chief, NTSB Safety Advocacy Division Sunday, November 19, is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Every year on this day, people around the world honor the me…| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Bryan Delaney, NTSB Safety Advocate If you watch the news coverage of a plane crash, you will very likely see investigators wearing the iconic blue jacket with “NTSB” written in bright yellow on the back. On scene, these investigators evaluate the wreckage and locate the flight recorders or “black boxes,” which contain essential information … Continue reading Inside the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Lab→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Paul Stancil, NTSB Senior Hazardous Materials Accident Investigator I wonder what Don Ross, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigator-in-charge, might have said to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the train derailment that occurred in Lac‑Mégantic, Quebec: a tragedy that claimed 47 lives, forced about 2,000 people to evacuate, and destroyed 40 buildings … Continue reading Rail Tank Car Safety Ten Years after Lac‑Mégantic→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Leah Walton, NTSB Safety Advocate The 2023-2024 school year is upon us, and parents all over the country are preparing to send their students back to school. In the rush to gather back-to-school supplies, it’s easy to lose sight of what “back to school” means at the basic, literal level. Your student is going … Continue reading Back to School – Safely!→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Vice Chair Bruce Landsberg On July 7 Gov. Mike Parson signed the Siddens Bening Hands Free Law, prohibiting the use of portable electronic devices while driving, making Missouri the 49th state with some form of texting ban. The District of Columbia also bans texting and driving. As the nation battles the rising number of … Continue reading Missouri Bans Texting While Driving, Only Montana Remains→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, we talk with staff from our Vehicle Recorders Division, in the Office of Research and Engineering, about the work they do to support transportation safety investigations, and how they contribute to the mission of the NTSB. For more information about NTSB job opportunities, visit our webpage. To learn more about … Continue reading EPISODE 55: NTSB VEHICLE RECORDERS DIVISION→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Elias Kontanis, Chief, Transportation Disaster Assistance Division Last year, for the first time, the international aviation community observed February 20th as the International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and Families. This year, on the second annual observance, we join in reflecting on the lives lost in aviation accidents as well as on the vigilance … Continue reading Commemorating Air Crash Victims and Honoring Families, Every Day→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By James Scheffer, Strategic Advisor, NTSB Office of Marine Safety It’s been 40 years since the large bulk carrier SS Marine Electric tragically sank on February 12, 1983, off the Virginia coast. Nearly all aboard—31 of 34 souls—were lost. But I remember the events of that tragic day as if they happened yesterday. On that … Continue reading 40 Years Later, The Marine Electric Sinking Remembered→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Morgan Turrell, Director of the Office of Marine Safety New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration and remembrance. Three years ago, on December 31, 2019, as the new year was being rung in across t…| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In a new episode of our Behind the Scene @NTSB podcast, we talk with Meg Sweeney, Project Manager and Shawn Currie, Motor Carrier Factors Investigator, both in the Office of Highway Safety, about the October 27, 2020, collision between a service truck and school bus in Decatur, Tennessee. The NTSB final report for the investigation we discussed is … Continue reading Episode 53: Decatur, TN Crash Investigation→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Stephanie Shaw, Acting Chief, NTSB Safety Advocacy Division This week, families and friends will gather to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. According to estimates from AAA, nearly 55 million people will travel away from home this year, with about 49 million of them taking to the roads. As we mark the beginning of the holiday … Continue reading Prioritizing Safety This Holiday Travel Season→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy 50 million deaths. Hundreds of millions of injuries. That’s the worldwide cost of traffic violence, in human terms. It’s difficult to comprehend fully, which is why the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is so meaningful. This annual observance provides a time to reflect on the real people behind … Continue reading Honor Traffic Victims with Action→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
This week is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. In a new episode of our Behind-the-Scene @NTSB podcast, we talk with Safety Recommendations Division Chief Jeff Marcus, Human Performance Investigator Dennis Collins, and National Resource Specialist Jana Price, Ph.D., about fatigue and NTSB fatigue-related crash investigations. They also discuss NTSB safety recommendations aimed at mitigating fatigue risk … Continue reading Episode 52: Drowsy Driving Prevention Week→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Bryan Delaney, NTSB Safety Advocate This week is Teen Driver Safety Week, a time dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to prevent teen driving-related deaths and injuries on the road. The NTSB has long advocated for preventive measures that would address the common factors—distractions, fatigue, impairment, speeding, and lack of seat belt use—contributing … Continue reading Teen Driver Safety Week: Keeping The Next Generation Safe on the Roads→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Leah Walton, NTSB Safety Advocate In the Spring of this year, I attended the Association of Ignition Interlock Program Administrators (AIIPA) Annual Conference, a gathering of about 130 people all committed to eliminating impaired driving. Attendees included state ignition interlock program administrators, ignition interlock manufacturers, researchers, law enforcement, toxicologists, and representatives from the treatment … Continue reading Help Us Reach Zero: Adopt All-offender Igniti...| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In a new episode of our Behind-the-Scene @NTSB podcast, we talk with Morgan Turrell, Director, Office of Marine Safety about the lessons learned from the 2019 Conception disaster. To learn more about the NTSB Conception investigation, and to access the full investigative report and docket, visit our investigation webpage. For more information about the NTSB Most … Continue reading Episode 51: Conception Investigation→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy Three years ago, I launched with the NTSB Go Team to Santa Barbara, California, to investigate the deadliest U.S. marine accident in decades. On September 2, 2019, the Conception dive boat caught fire in the early morning hours, burned to the waterline, and sank less than 100 feet from shore. Tragically, … Continue reading Time for Action: Passenger Vessel Safety Can’t Wait→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, we celebrate the 50th episode with NTSB Executive Officer Erik Strickland and Safety Advocacy Division Chief Nicholas Worrell to talk about the genesis for the podcast, reflect on the interviews with Board Members and staff since the podcast was launched in 2017, and look to the future as we … Continue reading Episode 50: NTSB Executive Officer Erik Strickland→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Stephanie Shaw, NTSB Safety Advocate Like many parents, I send my daughter to school on a school bus because I know that it’s the safest way for her to get to and from school. In fact, students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking the school bus than when traveling by … Continue reading Back-to-School Safety: Keeping Children Safe In and Around the School Bus→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB we talk with Tim LeBaron, Director; Kristi Dunks, Acting Deputy Director for Regional Operations; and Aaron Sauer, Senior Air Safety Investigator, in the Office of Aviation Safety, about their work to improve general aviation safety and the NTSB’s participation in the upcoming EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event. Hear more about … Continue reading Episode 49: EAA Air Venture Oshkosh 2022→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Lorenda Ward, Chief, NTSB Air Carrier and Space Investigations Division When I read the Chair’s blog, “A Call to Action from Kennedy,” I asked myself, “Are we ready?” Not for commercial space exploration, but for the next commercial space accident investigation. One of my responsibilities as the chief of the NTSB’s Air Carrier and … Continue reading Ready to Answer the Call→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Jeff Marcus, Chief, NTSB Safety Recommendations Division In many states, when using motorized recreational vessels, or engaging in activities like canoeing, kayaking, and standup paddleboarding, operators are not required to attend a boating safety course, obtain a license or certificate, be familiar with the navigation rules (commonly called the “Rules of the Road”), or … Continue reading Salute to the US Coast Guard’s Persistence in Improving Recreational Boating Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy This is the last post in a three-part series examining the safety of vulnerable road users, as new federal data show a rise in traffic deaths among motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians last year. You can read the first two posts here and here. I just got back from Helsinki, Finland, where … Continue reading Reaching Zero, from Helsinki to Hoboken→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @ NTSB, we have a conversation with James Anderson, the Audio Visual Communication Specialist in the NTSB Office of Safety Recommendations and Communications and the Producer of the NTSB podcast. James shares how he got interested in audio and video production, his career path to the NTSB, and some notable projects he’s worked … Continue reading Episode 48: James Anderson→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy This is the second in a three-part series examining the safety of vulnerable road users, as new federal data show a rise in traffic deaths among motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians last year. Read the first post. I love nearly everything about bicycles, from riding around Virginia to creating art for the … Continue reading We Need to Change the Bike Safety Conversation→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy This is the first in a three-part series examining the safety of vulnerable road users, as new federal data show a rise in traffic deaths among motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians last year. When it comes to learning, I’m one of those people who doesn’t just want to read about something — … Continue reading Motorcycle Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy This week, I visited NASA, Boeing, Blue Origin, and Space-X at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. KSC has been a leader in space exploration for over 50 years. The Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle programs took off from there, as did the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars Rover project, and … Continue reading A Call to Action from Kennedy→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Michael Graham Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2019, approximately 2,400 teens in the United States aged 13–19 died and about 258,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes. This means that approximately 7 teens died, and hundreds more … Continue reading Collision-Avoidance Technologies Can Improve Safety for Teen Drivers→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy 42,915 16-year high 10.5-percent increase An early estimate, released this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), shows 42,915 people—117 people per day—died on the nation’s roads last year. I, for one, am outraged by these needless deaths. Those victims are mothers and fathers, children and grandparents, friends, and … Continue reading Where is the Outrage? Road Users Deserve Better→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy The warmer months are here, which means more time outside for many of us, whether for recreation or to tackle home-improvement projects. Personally, I’m looking forward to running in the mornings, biking in the evenings, and spending weekends digging around in my vegetable garden — but not before taking an important … Continue reading ‘Tis the Season…for Safe Digging→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg Our recent investigation of the fatal Jan. 5, 2020, multivehicle crash near Mt. Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania, determined that excessive speed played a critical factor. This is a recurring theme in too many highway crash investigations. Between 1967 and 2022, the NTSB has investigated over 50 major crashes in which speed … Continue reading Excessive Speed Continues to Take Too Many Lives→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, Highway Factors Investigator, Dan Walsh discusses the 2020 multi-vehicle crash investigation near Mt. Pleasant Township, PA, and we explore the safety issues and safety recommendations issued as a result of our investigation. The NTSB final report for the Multivehicle Crash Near Mt. PleasantTownship, Pennsylvania, mentioned in this episode is available on … Continue reading Episode 47: Mt. Pleasant Township, PA Crash Investigation→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Nicholas Worrell, Chief, NTSB Safety Advocacy Division In August, 2019, I wrote that Safe Skies for Africa was ending, but that the safety journey would go on in Africa, the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent. Earlier this month, it was my pleasure to represent the NTSB in a presentation about best practices in safety … Continue reading Improving Safety in the Second-Largest Continent→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Kathryn Catania, Acting Director, NTSB Office of Safety Recommendations and Communications Since the unveiling a year ago of the 2021-2022 cycle of the NTSB’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, we have seen increased awareness and discussion of safety items, high levels of engagement from the public, and incremental progress toward implementation of … Continue reading The 2021-2022 MWL After One Year: Noticeable Progress But Few Closed Recommendations→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Nicholas Worrell, Chief, NTSB Safety Advocacy Division More people are dying in crashes since the pandemic began. Deaths on our roads increased from 36,096 in in 2019 to 38,824 in 2020, and to an estimated 31,720 in the first 9 months of 2021, a further 12% increase. At that rate of increase, fatalities will … Continue reading Kicking off National Distracted Driving Awareness Month→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, Chair Jennifer Homendy reflects on her NTSB journey so far, her transition from Board Member to Chair, and talks about our Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements, the Safe System Approach, and what she hopes to see accomplished to improve transportation safety as head of the agency. For … Continue reading Episode 46: Chair Jennifer Homendy→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Leah Walton, NTSB Safety Advocate I was 21 years old in the year 2000 when I started working in the field of impaired driving prevention, specifically underage drinking prevention. I remember some of my colleagues recalling, “Back in my day, the legal drinking age was 18 years old.” I don’t have that recollection – … Continue reading 40 Years Later: The Safety Impact of the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age Law→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Leah Read, NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator “N555$$, call the tower. N555$$ call the tower…your gear isn’t down!” As a newly minted certified flight instructor (CFI) in the early 90s, I loved reading the latest addition of Flight Training magazine. I’ll never forget reading a funny quip about a pilot who was on final … Continue reading BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST to Pilot: “Remember me?”→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Elias Kontanis, Chief, NTSB Transportation Disaster Assistance Division This year, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) designated February 20 the International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and Families. Although ICAO has addressed various aspects of family assistance for decades, this is the first time a day has been set aside to remember and honor … Continue reading February 20: International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and Families→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Tom Chapman This year, the Super Bowl will be played on Sunday, February 13th. Like many Americans, I circled the date on my calendar months ago. It’s a special day to enjoy with family and friends. It’s a day to watch the biggest game of the year while indulging in favorite football fare— … Continue reading The Super Bowl—By the Numbers→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy Blue jackets. Devastating scenes. Calm in the wake of tragedy. This is how many people describe their first impressions of NTSB. It’s not surprising given the international visibility of our on-scene work. But today is all about who you don’t see: the folks who make the agency’s headline-grabbing work possible. I’m … Continue reading Recognizing a Quarter Century of 24/7 Response→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy Adapted from i-Chiefs magazine, originally published Feb 2021 Imagine for a moment that you’re an emergency medical services (EMS) worker. You’re assisting a patient who requires transport to another facility. You decide to request a helicopter air ambulance (HAA). How do you pick the safest HAA operator? In a perfect world, … Continue reading How EMS Workers Can Improve Air Ambulance Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Michael Graham Today, the NTSB released a four-part video series: “V2X: Preserving the Future of Connected-Vehicle Technology.” Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) is one of the most promising life-saving technologies available today. While radars and sensors are limited to line-of-sight and are often impeded by inclement weather, V2X technology uses direct communication between vehicles and with … Continue reading NTSB Video Series Highlights Safety Benefits of Connected-Vehicle Tech...| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Jeff Marcus, Chief, NTSB Safety Recommendations Division Forty years ago, on Jan. 13, 1982, a Boeing 737 jetliner crashed into Washington, DC’s 14th Street Bridge and plunged into the freezing Potomac River after departing National Airport during a snowstorm. The crash killed 73 of the 79 people aboard the airplane and 4 people in cars on … Continue reading Remembering Air Florida Flight 90 and the Progress Towards Eliminating Airline Icing Accidents→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Nicholas Worrell, Chief, NTSB Safety Advocacy Division As 2021 ends, it’s time to reflect on the past 12 months and begin to set goals for the year ahead. After all, as Zig Ziglar once said, “if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” So, let us all aim to improve the … Continue reading A New Year’s Resolution We All Can Make: Prioritize Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Tom Chapman Unlike last year when many holiday gatherings were cancelled due to the pandemic, many of us will return to visiting family and attending holiday parties this year. Some may see this as an opportunity for a 2020 do-over and may overindulge on merriment. The holiday season is a time of increased … Continue reading Drive Sober and Save Lives the Holiday Season→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Bryan Delaney, NTSB Safety Advocate Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens and, for today’s teens, distraction is a major factor in crash risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), dialing a phone number while operating a vehicle increases a teen’s risk of crash by 6 times, … Continue reading Three Key Strategies to Prevent Teen Distracted-Driving Crashes→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Michael Graham In 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required commercial airlines to develop a comprehensive safety management system (SMS) to improve safety for the flying public. An SMS is an organization-wide system that ensures operators are properly identifying, assessing, and mitigating the conditions that exist for an accident to occur. The FAA, … Continue reading Paying Passengers Deserve Safety on All Flights→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy November 21 is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. It is a day to honor the 1.3 million lives lost each year around the world in motor vehicle crashes. Today, I urge everyone to take a moment to remember all those who have lost loved ones in crashes, … Continue reading World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @ NTSB, we talk with Mike Fox and Steve Prouty, Highway Crash Investigators, Nathan Doble, Transportation Research Analyst and Brittany Rawlinson, Statistician about the 2021-2022 Most Wanted List safety items Implement a Comprehensive Strategy to Eliminate Speeding-Related Crashes and Protect Vulnerable Road Users through a Safe System Approach. For more information about the … Continue reading EPISODE 45: MOST WANTED LIST – VULNERABLE ROAD USERS AN...| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Michael Graham Every day more than 2.6 million miles of pipelines across the United States transport enormous volumes of natural gas and liquid petroleum that provide for the nation’s energy needs. These pipelines crisscross the country under our neighborhoods, homes, and businesses. While, statistically, pipelines are the safest method for energy transportation, the … Continue reading Improve Pipeline Leak Detection and Mitigation→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Bryan Delaney, NTSB Safety Advocate Last month, as part of Teen Driver Safety Week the NTSB held two virtual roundtables to discuss the state of teen driver safety and graduated driver license l…| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
October 17-23, 2021 was designated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as Teen Driver Safety Week, a time dedicated to raising awareness of preventive measures that can be taken to eliminate teen injuries and fatalities on American roadways. In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @ NTSB, State and Local Liaison Steve Blackistone, Chief of the … Continue reading EPISODE 44: TEEN DRIVER SAFETY→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Bryan Delaney, NTSB Safety Advocate For most teens, receiving the car keys for their first trip alone on the road is a ceremonious moment—one that opens their world to freedom of mobility. For parents and guardians, however, this moment can be nerve-wracking. Unfortunately, the anxiety parents and guardians feel is justifiable, as traffic crashes … Continue reading Teen Driver Safety: Education + Action = Positive Change→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Mike Hodges, Air Safety Investigator, and Clint Crookshanks, Aerospace Engineer (Structures) When an aircraft crashes, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) air safety investigators and aerospace engineers must determine if the event can be classified as an accident or an incident, as defined by Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 830. An accident … Continue reading Accident or Incident? Explaining Aircraft Damage Assessment→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @ NTSB, we talk with Rob Hall, Director, NTSB Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Investigations and Railroad Accident Investigators, Tim DePaepe and Joe Gordon, about the 2021-2022 Most Wanted List safety item Improve Rail Worker Safety. To learn more about the NTSB Most Wanted List and the Improve Rail Worker Safety item, … Continue reading Episode 43: Improve Rail Worker Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Tom Chapman The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the railroad industry have recently implemented new protections to make rail passenger travel and hazardous materials transportation safer. That’s great news. However, the NTSB anticipates more accidents involving passengers and the public until our safety recommendations regarding rail worker safety are implemented. Members of train … Continue reading Improve Rail Worker Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Tom Chapman Each year, Operation Lifesaver, Inc., spearheads Rail Safety Week. For 2021, Rail Safety Week runs from September 20 through 26. Operation Lifesaver and its safety partners across North America, including the NTSB, use this annual event to educate and empower the public to make safe decisions around trains and tracks and … Continue reading RAIL SAFETY WEEK 2021→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chair Jennifer Homendy Two years ago today, a preventable tragedy became one of the worst maritime events in US history. At about 3:14 a.m. on September 2, 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received a distress call from the Conception, a 75-foot-long small passenger vessel operated by Truth Aquatics, Inc. The Labor Day fire … Continue reading Two-years Later: Conception Tragedy Still a Reminder that More Should Be Done to Improve Passenger Vessel Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Jeff Marcus, Chief, NTSB Safety Recommendations Division Fifteen years ago today, on August 27, 2006, Comair flight 5191, a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, lined up on the wrong runway and crashed during takeoff from Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, Kentucky (LEX), killing 49 people, including the captain and flight attendant. The first officer, who was seriously injured, … Continue reading Comair 5191 Crash Led to Air Traffic Control Changes→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, NTSB Managing Director, Sharon Bryson and Frank Hilldrup, Chief Technical Advisor for International Affairs, NTSB Office of Aviation Safety, talk about the July 17, 1996, TWA flight 800 accident. We discuss what happened, the findings and safety recommendations that came out of the investigation, its tremendous impact on aviation … Continue reading Episode 42: TWA Flight 800→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Michael Graham Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injuries in the United States. Early estimates for 2020 show that more than 38,000 people lost their lives in traffic crashes on our nation’s roads. These preventable tragedies are often due to driver mistakes and poor decisions—speeding or driving while impaired, … Continue reading It’s Time to Require Collision-Avoidance and Connected-Vehicle Technologies on all Vehicles→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Stephanie Shaw, NTSB Safety Advocate As parents, caregivers, teachers, school administrators, and school transportation safety professionals prepare for the return to school the health and safety of our children is the highest priority. This school year, back to school preparation for our children looks very different and it’s easy to forget about transportation safety … Continue reading Back-to-School Transportation Safety→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Acting Chairman Bruce Landsberg Most people are familiar with the nightly news image of NTSB investigators at the scene of an accident, searching for the “black (orange) box.” The flight data recorder (FDR), which records aircraft control inputs and operational conditions, and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which records pilot conversations, are at the … Continue reading Accident Data for Investigations, Routine Flight Data for Prevention→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Acting Chairman Bruce Landsberg There was once a saying in the news media business to “get it first, get it right, but first get it right.” The NTSB strives to get it right above all, but we recognize that timeliness is essential, too. One of my goals even before joining the Board was to … Continue reading Get it Right: Addressing the Timeliness of NTSB Investigations→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Leah Walton, NTSB Safety Advocate Twenty years ago, in the summer of 2001, I began my work to end alcohol-impaired driving at the Minnesota State Office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Over these 20 years, although so much has changed and there’s much to celebrate, we still have so much work to do. What … Continue reading Preventing Alcohol-Impaired Driving: We All Are Part of the Solution→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt I guess it all started on an overcast day in 1973, when I found myself on the scene of a fatal aviation crash for the first time. I had heard of the crash on my car radio, and, as a curious 17‑year-old, I decided to find the crash location. Once … Continue reading I Lived My Dream: Looking Back on 15 years at NTSB→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt reflects on his time at the NTSB, from his first day on the job, to how he’s feeling about his last day as Chairman. He also shares memorable moments during his 15 years at NTSB and some of the leadership lessons he’s learned along the way. Chairman … Continue reading Episode 41: Chairman Robert Sumwalt→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt Speeding kills about the same number of Americans as drinking and driving, yet garners far less attention. We’ve included “Implement a Comprehensive Strategy to Eliminate Speeding-Related Crashes” on our 2021–2022 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements because we know that speeding significantly impacts safety on the country’s roads, and … Continue reading Speeding: Comprehensive Changes Needed to Save Lives→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
By Member Thomas Chapman Impaired driving, in some form or another, has been on every NTSB Most Wanted List since its inception in 1990. And with more than 10,000 impaired-driving deaths each year, it’s hard to imagine ever removing it. We have made safety recommendations about impaired driving prevention since 1968.Yet the problem persists. Part … Continue reading Prevent Alcohol- and Other Drug-Impaired Driving→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
May has been designated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, to help motorists understand standard motorcycle driving behaviors and learn how to drive safely around motorcycles on our roadways. In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @ NTSB, NTSB Highway Crash Investigators Kenny Bragg and Mike Fox discuss our investigation of … Continue reading Episode 40: Motorcycle safety month→| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
Action Needed Now to Prevent Future Injuries and Accidents By Jana Price, PhD, NTSB National Resource Specialist In 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a safety research…| NTSB Safety Compass Blog
