US NTSB chairman vows to be ‘fierce advocate’ for safety in new term By Reuters
David Shepherdson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told lawmakers she would seek approval for safety recommendations and scrutinize federal agencies.
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing Wednesday on President Joe Biden’s nomination for a new term to lead a committee that investigates aviation, rail, marine, pipeline and highway accidents.
“My most important job in the field is to explain to families what is often the worst day of their lives, which is why I fight so hard for NTSB safety recommendations,” Homendy said in written testimony that he will continue to serve. said. “I am a strong advocate for improving transportation safety.”
Homendy was an on-site board member for the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge last month and the mid-air emergency caused by the Alaska Airlines Boeing (NYSE:) 737 MAX 9 door panel rupture on January 5.
Homendy, who has served on the board since 2018 and has served as chair since August 2021, was previously a senior legislative staff member responsible for transportation issues.
She will tell senators that the NTSB hired 71 people in 2023, bringing its staff to 430, after hiring just seven in 2017. The NTSB handles 2,200 domestic cases and 450 foreign cases each year across all modes of transportation, according to her testimony seen by Reuters.
Last month, Homendy criticized Boeing’s lack of cooperation with the door plug investigation, including withholding the names of 25 door workers at its 737 plant in Renton, Washington. After Homendy’s comments, Boeing provided 25 names. Boeing denied any failure to cooperate.
She also called for action after a series of near-miss aviation safety accidents and urged the Federal Aviation Administration to mandate that all planes be equipped with cockpit voice recording devices, which currently capture 25 hours of data in a two-hour loop. .
Homendy also pushed for new train safety measures following a train derailment in February 2023. Norfolk Southern (NYSE:) operated trains in East Palestine, Ohio.
Homendy previously criticized the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for failing to ensure the safety of driver assistance systems such as Tesla’s (NASDAQ:) Autopilot and early self-driving cars.
NHTSA declined to adopt the NTSB’s recommendation, saying drivers “must be fully and continuously engaged in the task of driving,” but Tesla announced in December that 2 million vehicles would be affected by a lack of Autopilot safeguards to prevent driver misuse. pressured to recall it.
Tesla said in December that it disagreed with NHTSA’s analysis but would deploy over-the-air software updates that “incorporate additional controls and warnings” to encourage drivers to adhere to ongoing driving responsibilities when using Autopilot.
