Strapped with a backlog of cases and a tight budget, the National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to fewer and fewer fatal airplane crashes -- particularly those involving small planes. And that has safety experts worried.
Last year, the agency's accident investigators showed up at 62 percent of all fatal plane crashes, compared with 75 percent of all fatal crashes in 2001, according to NTSB numbers. But data from the Federal Aviation Administration -- which is required to send an investigator to every accident and take note of whether the NTSB is on the scene -- indicate that NTSB investigators showed up less than half the time last year.
The NTSB chafed at the FAA numbers, calling them inaccurate. After a back-and-forth between the agencies, the FAA backed down, acknowledging that its numbers may be unreliable.
Whether the NTSB showed up at 62 percent or less than half of all fatal crashes last year, the downward trend since 2001 has alarmed former accident investigators.
Washington Post
Last year, the agency's accident investigators showed up at 62 percent of all fatal plane crashes, compared with 75 percent of all fatal crashes in 2001, according to NTSB numbers. But data from the Federal Aviation Administration -- which is required to send an investigator to every accident and take note of whether the NTSB is on the scene -- indicate that NTSB investigators showed up less than half the time last year.
The NTSB chafed at the FAA numbers, calling them inaccurate. After a back-and-forth between the agencies, the FAA backed down, acknowledging that its numbers may be unreliable.
Whether the NTSB showed up at 62 percent or less than half of all fatal crashes last year, the downward trend since 2001 has alarmed former accident investigators.
Washington Post
