Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the NTSB, spoke to the GA world on Tuesday at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) meeting, and made use of the occasion to respond to a recent story in The Washington Post. The Post reported last week that NTSB investigators have been going to fewer accident scenes every year since 2001, showing up at less than half of the crashes involving small aircraft. Rosenker told the GAMA audience on Tuesday, “While it is true that we do not launch on all fatal and serious injury accidents, I must reiterate that we shall continue to lead an investigation into every single one of the nearly 1,800 general aviation accidents that occur each year in the country.” Rosenker said the NTSB historically has not conducted an on-scene investigation on fatal accidents involving crop-dusters, homebuilts, illegal ultralights, balloons and gliders, which make up about 25 percent of the fatal accidents each year. “It is simply a matter of prioritizing our efforts,” he said. “Our cadre of 43 regional investigators simply cannot travel on every fatal and serious injury accident, and we must rely on some of the 3,500 FAA inspectors to assist us.”
NTSB Chair: GA Crashes Won’t Be Ignored
Key Takeaways:
- The NTSB addressed a Washington Post report, clarifying that while they don't deploy investigators to every fatal or serious injury accident scene, they do conduct an investigation into all 1,800 annual general aviation accidents.
- This selective on-scene response is a matter of prioritizing efforts due to a limited staff of 43 regional investigators and a historical policy of not attending on-scene for certain aircraft types (e.g., crop-dusters, homebuilts), which account for about 25% of fatal accidents.
- To manage the workload, the NTSB relies on 3,500 FAA inspectors to assist with investigations where their own personnel cannot conduct an on-scene review.
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