M1.3 NTSB Organization
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Hi all,
NTSB Legal Mission
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has a very distinct objective – to enhance
transportation safety by investigating incidents, conducting safety studies, and advocating for
safety proposals (NTSB, n.d.-a). Predominantly, the NTSB focuses on providing independent
investigations, impartial to any government agencies, corporate parties, or affected individuals.
Although commonly associated with aviation, the NTSB also oversees and investigates accidents
involving rail, marine, ground vehicles, and pipelines transporting gas or hazardous liquids
(Wood & Sweggins, 2006).
DOT and FAA Separation
In 1966, the Department of Transportation Act created the Department of Transportation (DOT)
(FAA, 2021). The previously designated Federal Aviation Agency became the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and an organization under the DOT. Similarly, the Civil Aeronautics
Board became the NTSB, an organization functioning within the DOT. The idea was that a
unified transportation system would streamline policies for the various transportation types and
programs in the country.
In 1974, Congress realized the need for separation between the investigative and regulatory
transportation organizations to ensure proper and independent investigations (NTSB, n.d.-b). As
a result, the NTSB was separated from the DOT and now provides investigations of incidents or
accidents independent of any parties, especially those organizations regulating transportation.
This separation ensures the investigation focuses exclusively on the incident facts and methods
for improving safety, regardless of any outside interests in accepting or rejecting the
recommendations or facts of the investigation.
Party System Definition and Utilization Purpose:
Parties in an accident investigation are any participants assisting in the investigation in various
ways (Wood & Sweggins, 2006). The larger an accident, the more components involved, the
more people involved, and therefore, the more possible parties involved. Parties can be a team
sent by aircraft manufacturers, air carriers, pilot advocates, and the FAA, among others. In some
cases, the status of ‘Party’ in an investigation is predetermined, such as the FAA at any
investigation. In others, the NTSB reserves the right to determine any particular organizations or
individuals as parties in the investigation, with claimants and lawyers automatically and
purposely barred from gaining party status.
The party system allows the NTSB to take advantage of expertise in very specific and varying
fields pertaining to accidents for which the NTSB cannot possibly have the same level and
amount of information (Wood & Sweggins, 2006). Additionally, having experts preside over
investigating their fields of expertise ensures an increased level of accountability and
thoroughness for the NTSB investigation as a whole. Parties are increasingly important as
accident investigation and aircraft operating technologies evolve, with many systems having
entire fields dedicated to their manufacturing, operation, and maintenance.
In the Air Force, aircraft maintenance is divided into specialty fields, compared to the civilian
world where one technician is usually trained in many different fields. An avionics technician
cannot troubleshoot or repair a hydraulic component, whereas this might very well be the case in
the civilian world. This is a perfect example of how parties contribute to their specific areas of
expertise and jointly support one larger system.
References
Federal Aviation Administration. (2021, November 15).
A brief history of the FAA.
FAA.gov.
https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history
National Transportation Safety Board. (n.d.-a).
About the NTSB.
NTSB.gov.
https://www.ntsb.gov/about/Pages/default.aspx
National Transportation Safety Board. (n.d.-a).
History of the National Transportation Safety
Board.
NTSB.gov.
https://www.ntsb.gov/about/history/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=In
%201974%2C%20Congress%20reestablished%20the,agency%20of%20the%20United
%20States.%E2%80%9D
Wood, R. H., & Sweggins, R. W. (2006).
Aircraft accident investigation
(2
nd
ed.). Endeavor
Books.
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