Vol 8 - Issue 1
Highlighting NTSB Advocacy in Action (Winter/Spring 2022)
The Big Stories
Most Wanted List Progress Report: One Year Later
In April, we released our mid-cycle report on the progress made since the NTSB unveiled its 2021-2022 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements a year ago. The NTSB has seen increased awareness and discussion of safety items, high levels of engagement from the public and key stakeholders, and incremental progress toward implementation of many recommendations. Read more about our mid-cycle progress report.
Safe Systems, Distraction & Impairment: Focus at Lifesaver's
On March 15, Chair Jennifer Homendy challenged local advocates and safety leaders during the closing plenary at the 2022 Lifesaver's National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities in Chicago to "fight like hell" and to use the Safe System Approach to reduce rising deaths and injuries on our nation's roads. Read more about our presentations at Lifesaver's.
NTSB Response Operation Center's 25th Anniversary
At NTSB, it is common to see employees preparing to launch to an investigation. But how does the agency learn about a crash or other accident in the first place? Probably through NTSB’s Response Operations Center (ROC), which celebrated its 25th year in operation this year. Read more about the ROC's 25th anniversary.
Aviation Safety
Four New Warnings About General Aviation Hazards
Between January and April, the NTSB released four aviation investigation reports calling for immediate attention to some very specific safety concerns affecting the general aviation industry. Read more about our four new general aviation safety reports.
Reducing Accidents Through Safety Management Systems
Throughout February and April, Member Michael Graham and Safety Advocacy staff worked hard to advocate to the aviation industry the importance of implementing safety management systems (SMS) in all passenger-carrying aviation operations. Read more about our SMS advocacy.
Understanding General Aviation Manufacturers Concerns
On February 24, Chair Jennifer Homendy and Aviation Safety Director Tim Lebaron met with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) board of directors in Washington, D.C., to discuss NTSB’s recommendations for general aviation and the Chair’s vision for the agency. Read what we said at GAMA.
Helicopter Expo Tour and Presentations
Member Michael Graham, Aviation Safety Director Tim LeBaron, and other NTSB aviation safety investigators joined hundreds of helicopter operators, pilots, and manufacturers in Dallas at the Helicopter Association International’s Heli Expo March 7-9. There they shared NTSB’s perspectives and concerns regarding the state of helicopter safety and the aviation safety improvements on our Most Wanted List (MWL). Read more about our visit to the Heli Expo.
Advancing Women in Aviation
On March 18, Chair Jennifer Homendy was joined by a very special guest who helped her deliver the luncheon keynote address at the 2022 International Women in Aviation Conference in Nashville, Tennessee: her 14-year-old daughter and aviation enthusiast Lexi. Read more about the Chair's keynote address at WAI.
Investigators at FAA Alaska Air Safety Meeting
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) invited NTSB investigators to present at its 2022 Spring Air Safety Meeting in Alaska, on April 6. The event was designed to share lessons learned, recommendations, and safety reminders with pilots and operators ahead of the Spring air tour operation season. Read more about the FAA Alaska meeting.
Chat with Sport & Recreational Aviation Enthusiasts
On April 6, Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg met with recreational and general aviation enthusiasts at the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, one of the largest aviation events in the world. Sun ‘n FUN hosts nearly 100,000 aviation enthusiasts throughout the week. Read more about the Vice Chairman's fly-in to SUN 'n FUN.
Highway Safety
NTSB Video Series on Benefits of V2X Technologies
In January, we released a four-part Most Wanted List (MWL) Interview video series, featuring Board Member Michael Graham talking with experts from government, industry, and academia about the safety benefits of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology/connected-vehicle (CV) technology, which we have recommended for two decades. Read more about our V2X video series. 
Board Meeting - Multiple Vehicle Crash, Mt. Pleasant Township, PA
On February 8, the Board met to determine the probable cause of the Jan. 5, 2020, multivehicle crash near Mt. Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania. The crash involved a motorcoach, three trucks towing semitrailers, and a passenger vehicle. Read more about the Mt. Pleasant Township crash investigation findings.
Valentine's & Super Bowl Impairment Awareness Campaigns
Between February 10-14, the NTSB focused its social and digital media efforts on highlighting the increased roadway dangers that come with Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day activities. Read more about our awareness campaigns.
Montgomery County Vision Zero Rally to End Traffic Fatalities
On February 12, Chair Jennifer Homendy joined U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin; Montgomery County, Maryland, Council Vice President Evan Glass; and a host of state and local safety leaders at the Vision Zero Rally to End Traffic Fatalities. Read more about the Chair's remarks at the rally.
Safe System Roundtable Webinar: Post-Crash Care
On February 17, Chair Jennifer Homendy hosted the next installment of NTSB's Most Wanted List Roundtable Series on The Safe System Approach: Post-Crash Care. The focus of the webinar was on the seconds and minutes following a traffic crash, which experts call “the last best chance” to save a life. Read more about the safe system webinar.
Vision Zero Network Webinar
On February 24, Chair Jennifer Homendy joined state, local, and public health leaders on a Vision Zero Network webinar, “Acting with Urgency: Zero Traffic Deaths,” which focused on strategies for reducing deaths and injuries on our roadways. Read more about the Chair's participation in the Vision Zero webinar.
Response to Dramatic New Traffic Fatality Crash Stats
On March 2, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its 2020 annual traffic crash data showing that 38,824 lives were lost in traffic crashes nationwide. That number marks the highest number of fatalities since 2007. Read more about our response to the data.
State and Highway Transportation Officials Briefing
On March 2, Chair Jennifer Homendy delivered the keynote address at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) joint luncheon with The Road Gang during the AASHTO Washington Briefing in Washington, DC. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Read more about the Chair's AASHTO presentation.
Illinois Truck Enforcement Outreach
On March 11, Chair Jennifer Homendy and NTSB Special Operations Senior Advisor Erik Grosof spoke at the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association’s conference about how law enforcement officers and trucking companies can collaborate with the NTSB to improve safety, especially if they become parties to an NTSB investigation. Read more about their visit to Illinois.
Understanding the Impact of Cannabis-Impaired Driving
To increase our understanding of the impacts of impaired driving and hone our advocacy efforts, staff from the Office of Safety Recommendations and Communications, Office of Highway Safety, and Office of Research and Engineering attended a Cannabis Impaired Driving Prosecution Training, hosted by the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland, on March 31. Read more about staff's cannabis-detection training.
Distracted Driving Awareness Month Activities
April was Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the NTSB focused its advocacy efforts on eliminating distracted driving and promoting our distraction-related recommendations. Distraction has been a focus of the agency’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements for more than a decade. Read more about our advocacy against distracted driving.
NTSB at the World Traffic Safety Symposium
On April 14, Chair Jennifer Homendy and Safety Advocacy staff presented at the 31st World Traffic Safety Symposium, which was held at the New York International Auto Show. Read more about the Chair and staff activities in New York.
Maryland Highway Safety Summit Activities
On April 18, Safety Advocacy staff attended and presented at the Maryland Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office’s @zerodeathsMD Highway Safety Summit in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. Read more about our role at the Maryland summit.
Board Meeting - Fatal Bus Crash in Pala Mesa, CA
On April 19, the Board met to determine the probable cause of the Feb. 22, 2020, bus roadway departure and rollover in Pala Mesa, California. The 30-passenger bus, operated by Executive Lines, Inc., was traveling southbound in the rain on Interstate 15 near Pala Mesa when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed. Read more about our investigation's findings.
Investigator Shares Truck Crash Lessons
On April 29, Highway Safety Investigator Shawn Currie joined heavy-duty truck fleet safety professionals at the American Trucking Associations' Safety, Security & Human Resources Conference in Orlando, Florida, where he delivered a presentation on five Most Wanted List highway safety improvements from a trucking perspective: distraction, impairment, the safe system approach, speeding, and collision-avoidance technologies. Read more about Currie's presentation.
Marine Safety
Fishing Vessel Dangers Highlighted in Two Marine Reports
In February and April, we released two marine investigation reports highlighting fishing vessel dangers. Improve Passenger and Fishing Vessel Safety is a safety improvement on our Most Wanted List. Fishing consistently tops the list of most deadly occupations, due, in large part, to challenging work environments, such as poor weather and rough waters. Read more about our fishing vessel reports.
Passenger Vessel Association Keynote
On March 5, Chair Jennifer Homendy addressed the Passenger Vessel Association's (PVA's) Annual Convention, soliciting support for our safety recommendations for passenger vessels. Read more about the Chair's presentation at PVA.
Rail, Pipeline & Hazmat Safety
Remembering Lessons from the Edgemont, SD, Accident
On January 17, the five-year anniversary of the Edgemont, South Dakota, accident, the NTSB once again reminded the rail community and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) about the need to implement recommendations which resulted from the investigation and which would enhance rail worker safety. NTSB determined the probable cause of the Edgemont accident was the improper use of train approach warning by the BNSF Railway roadway work group to provide on-track safety. Read more about the Edgemont accident and recommendations.
FRA Track and Railroad Workplace Safety Symposium
Between April 5-7, Board Member Tom Chapman and staff from the Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials (RPH) presented and attended at the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Track & Railroad Workplace Safety Symposium, the first FRA collaborative safety event tailored to the industry's track maintenance and construction groups. Read more about the NTSB presentations at FRA.
Youth & Teen Outreach
Collision Avoidance Technologies and Teen Driving Safety
On March 23, Member Michael Graham hosted an NTSB Most Wanted List (MWL) Webinar on Collision-Avoidance Technologies and Teen Driver Safety. Speakers discussed how collision-avoidance technologies benefit teens from the automaker, equity, driver education, and research perspectives. Read more about the teen-driver webinar.
Students and NTSB Call for Stronger Distraction Laws
Safety Advocacy staff joined representatives from Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) on April 6 for a press conference at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Read more about the press event in Pennsylvania.
International Advocacy
Sharing Lessons at Cape Verde Aviation Conference
Safety Advocacy Chief Nicholas Worrell traveled to the Island of Sal in Cape Verde to address a multimodal audience of safety professionals attending a civil aviation safety workshop at a special meeting of the Cabo Verde Institute for the Prevention and Investigation of Aeronautical and Maritime Accidents (IPIAAM). Read more about the Cape Verde briefing.
Regulatory / Legislative Activities
U.S. House: Testimony on Small Passenger Vessel Safety
On March 21, Chair Jennifer Homendy testified before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on “A Review Of Coast Guard Efforts To Improve Small Passenger Vessel Safety.” Read more about the Chair's testimony.
Kentucky: Testimony on Distraction
Maryland: Testimony on Pedestrian Safety
On February 17, Safety Advocate Leah Walton testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates on HB 656, “Safe Access for All (SAFE) Roads Act of 2022.” Read more about Walton's testimony.
Select NTSB Reports, Alerts & Studies
Railroad Investigation Report: Union Pacific Railroad Employee Fatality
Railroad Investigation Report: Housatonic Railroad Employee Fatality
Railroad Investigation Report: Norfolk Southern Corporation Employee Fatality
MWL Progress Report - Hits & Misses
Upcoming Events
June
1-30
100 Deadliest Days of Summer
Starting in June (and ending in August), we will work to highlight the dangers on our roadways for teens. Summer is the most dangerous time of the year for this particular age group.
June
3-9
Chair Homendy will be meeting with the heads of international, independent multimodal safety investigation authorities in Helsinki, Finland.
June
8
Member Chapman will be presenting at this International Union of Railways' event for international rail professionals in Denver.
June
16
Member Graham will be presenting at the National Air Transportation Association Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.
June
21
Chair Homendy will be presenting at the FIA Foundation's event in London, England.
June
28
Chair Homendy will be presenting at the Towards Zero Foundation/Global New Car Assessment Programme roundtable in Washington, DC.
June
29
Staff will be presenting at the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America's annual conference in San Diego, California.
July
10
Chair Homendy will be presenting at the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials' 51st National Meeting and Training Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
July
13-16
Chair Homendy and staff will be presenting at the Students Against Destructive Decisions' annual conference in Orlando, Florida.
July
25-31
Chair Homendy, Member Graham, and staff will be presenting our "Fly Like a Pro"-themed topics during the week-long Experimental Aircraft Association's annual aviation conference in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
July
27-29
Member Chapman will be presenting at the Texas A&M Institute's traffic safety conference in College Station, Texas.
August
7-10
Member Chapman will be presenting at the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals' forum in Denver.
August
16
Chair Homendy will be presenting at the conference for North Carolina traffic safety professionals in Raleigh, North Carolina.
August
21-23
Member Chapman and staff will be presenting at the International Association of the Chiefs of Police's conference in San Antonio, Texas.
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