Page 12 - 2017-Issue1

12 the ntsb: independent by design

PoLITIcAL IndePendence FuncTIonAL IndePendence
The NTSB has political independence so that nobody can The NTSB also has functional independence: As stated above, we are
influence an investigation through political pressure. The airline, only an investigator, not a regulator.
the manufacturer, labor unions, the FAA, or others might be In some industries, the regulator also investigates accidents. But what
criticized if the NTSB finds that they had a role in an accident. if the regulator itself played a role in the accident?
However, to improve safety, the NTSB needs to report what An agency in such a position often neglects or minimizes any
happened and how. NTSB Members, who are appointed by the mistakes of its own. Yet any defects in the regulations or the programs
President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, serve 5-year terms. that enforce them, once brought to light, might be opportunities for
They can be removed only for inefficiency, neglect of duties, or safety improvements.
malfeasance in office. By contrast, the President can remove most Since the NTSB is separate from the regulator, we can examine the
political appointees for any reason or without stating a reason. In regulator’s role in appropriate detail. In fact, many of our accident
addition, only three of the five Members of the NTSB can be of investigations generate more recommendations to the regulator than to
the President’s political party. These provisions discourage any other party.
anybody from trying to use political pressure to steer an The PAyoFF: conTInuouS SAFeTy ImProvemenT
investigation away from the facts. Independence insulates the NTSB from political or functional
In support of this political independence, the NTSB works pressure. So, we find answers based solely on evidence. This improves the
very transparently. The Board meets in the open, not behind quality of our investigation reports and the value of our safety
closed doors, in keeping with a U.S. law called the Government recommendations.
in the Sunshine Act that applies to our hearings and meetings. In Those who receive our recommendations tend to act on them, not
addition, we report the factual information that we gather because they have to – they don’t – but because they are very good ideas.
on-scene, the most-watched phase of our accident investigations. The U.S. aviation industry, as well as the FAA, have accepted the
We do not engage in on-scene speculation or analysis, and we NTSB’s political and functional independence. Our relationships are not
often update factual information as it becomes available. We adversarial. Rather, we mutually respect each other’s roles in improving
make all of our factual reports and supporting information safety.
available prior to the public Board meeting in which we decide For nearly half a century, the NTSB has investigated every civil
the probable cause of an accident. aviation accident in the United States. The lessons that we learn from
All of this transparency helps the NTSB maintain public trust. each accident continue to fuel continuous safety improvement. The
Industry views us as a vital source of safety information. The quality of our accident investigations continues to benefit from our
public appreciates access to the facts that led us to our political and functional independence.
conclusions and recommendations.

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA