Description

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent United States federal agency dedicated to promoting aviation, railroad, highway, marine, pipeline, and hazardous materials safety. Established in 1967, the agency is mandated by Congress through the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to investigate transportation accidents, determine the probable causes of the accidents, issue safety recommendations, study transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety effectiveness of government agencies involved in transportation. The NTSB reviews appeals of enforcement actions involving airman and seaman certificates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Coast Guard and civil penalties actions taken by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The NTSB makes public its actions and decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety recommendations, and statistical reviews. The Independent Safety Board Act, as codified at 49 U.S.C. Section 1154(b), precludes the admission into evidence or use of NTSB reports related to an incident or accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report.

"To help prevent accidents, save lives and reduce injuries, the Board develops safety recommendations, based on its investigations and studies, which are issued to Federal, State and local government agencies, and to industry and other organizations in a position to improve transportation safety. These recommendations are the focal point of the NTSB's efforts to improve safety in the Nation's transportation system."

Related Articles

• Introduction to Accident Investigation
• Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (France) (BEA)
• Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (Spain) (CIAIAC) 
• Dutch Safety Board
• National Transportation Safety Committee (Indonesia) (NTSC)
• Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board
• Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (Singapore) (TSIB)
• Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB)

Further Reading

For further information, visit the NTSB website