The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation, including commercial space accidents and incidents involving FAA-licensed or permitted commercial space vehicles. In the space sector, the NTSB investigates accidents involving death, serious injury, or potentially deadly debris, determining the probable cause and issuing safety recommendations. It also participates in groups like the Quad Agency Working Group (USAF/SF, FAA, NASA, and NTSB) to ensure communication between agencies during major mishaps. Key partners include the FAA and NASA, and they have been involved in investigations such as the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia disasters, and the SpaceShipTwo test flight breakup.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
The October 2014 SpaceShipTwo fatal accident was the single exception in which the National Transportation Safety Board led the investigation.
The compendium recommends updating human spaceflight mishap investigation requirements related to an agreement between the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board signed in September 2022.
An agreement signed on 2022-09-09 between the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board would have transferred the NS-23 investigation to the NTSB if anyone had been killed or seriously injured or if hazardous debris fell outside the launch site.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board signed a memorandum of agreement on 2022-09-09 that assigns the FAA to lead commercial launch accident investigations except in cases of killed or seriously injured persons or debris falling outside the launch site that could reasonably be expected to lead to deaths or serious injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board signed a new memorandum of agreement on 2022-09-09 updating an agreement signed 22 years earlier.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in November 2021 to define its role in investigating accidents involving commercial launches and reentries.
Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson and Frank Lucas, chair and ranking member of the House Science Committee, respectively, wrote a letter to President Biden calling for the withdrawal of the proposed regulations by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The FAA contacted Aireon on the day of the 2019-03-10 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crash and Aireon provided requested data to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.