In this episode of the Thinking Transportation Podcast from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), Robert L. Sumwalt— currently executive director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and former chair of the NTSB — talks about that agency’s ongoing mission to investigate accidents and recommend improvements that make travel safer for everyone who uses our transportation network.
Please listen to the clip above and if you like what you hear the complete podcast can be found on the Thinking Transportation website or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tracing its origins to the Air Commerce Act of 1926, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was established in 1967 as an independent agency inside the U.S. DOT charged with investigating why transportation accidents happen. In 1974, it became an independent federal agency separate from the DOT. Although largely focused on aviation, the agency also investigates roadway, marine, pipeline, and railroad accidents, as well as those involving commercial space.
Robert L. Sumwalt is executive director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he also holds appointments as a Distinguished Fellow in Aviation Safety and Associate Professor. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of South Carolina and Embry-Riddle. Sumwalt previously chaired the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for 15 years, and before that he was an airline pilot for 24 years, accruing more than 14,000 flight hours. Sumwalt has coauthored books on aircraft accidents and safety management systems (SMS) and published more than 100 articles on accident investigation, SMS, and human factors. In September 2021, Sumwalt received the Flight Safety Foundation–Boeing Aviation Safety Lifetime Achievement Award.
