National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Michael Graham announced Friday that he will retire Oct. 2, little more than three months after the Senate confirmed him to another five-year term on the board.
The Senate confirmed Graham on May 18 to a term expiring Dec. 31, 2030. His retirement also comes less than six months after President Donald Trump designated him NTSB vice chairman for a three-year term. Friday’s announcement did not give a reason for the timing of his departure.
Board Would Drop To Three Members
The NTSB is structured as a five-member board and currently has four members: Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, Graham, Tom Chapman and John DeLeeuw. Graham’s departure would reduce the board to three members unless another member is seated before Oct. 2. Under federal law, three members constitute the quorum required for the board to carry out its duties and powers.
The board has undergone considerable turnover in the past year. Former member Alvin Brown was removed from the board by the White House in May 2025, while Todd Inman was removed in March. DeLeeuw, a former American Airlines safety executive and Boeing 787 captain, also joined the board in March.
Aviation Safety Background
Graham joined the NTSB in January 2020 after serving as director of flight operations safety, security and standardization at Textron Aviation. A former Navy F/A-18 pilot and airline transport pilot, he has logged more than 10,000 flight hours.
During his NTSB tenure, Graham served as the board member on scene for investigations including the 2022 Wings Over Dallas midair collision and advocated for flight data monitoring and broader adoption of safety management systems. The NTSB announced his planned retirement Friday.
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