National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine accidents, pipeline incidents and railroad accidents. When requested, the NTSB will assist the military and foreign governments with accident investigation. The NTSB is also in charge of investigating cases of hazardous materials releases that occur during transportation. Deborah Hersman was appointed as NTSB Chairman in July 2009. Christopher A. Hart was designated Vice Chairman on August 18, 2009 for a two-year term. He then became Acting Chairman after Hersman stepped down. The agency is based in Washington, D.C. As of 2013, it has four regional offices around the country and runs a training center in Ashburn, Virginia.
The origin of the NTSB was in the Air Commerce Act of 1926. The NTSB was established in 1967 as the federal government's primary accident investigation agency for all modes of transportation – aviation, highway, rail, marine and pipeline. The core of the new agency was the Civil Aeronautics Board's Bureau of Safety. Originally established with strong ties to the Department of Transportation, these ties were later severed under the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974. The organization receives its authority from Chapter 11, Title 49 of the United States Code. It has investigated over 140,000 aviation incidents since its establishment.
The board has five members nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms, one of whom is nominated as the Chairman by the President and then approved by the Senate for a fixed 2-year term. Another member is designated as vice-chairman and becomes acting chairman when there is no formal chairman.
No more than three of the five members can be from the same political party.
Organization within the Board is composed of separate sub-offices for highway safety, maritime safety, aviation safety, railroad, pipeline, and hazardous materials investigations, research and engineering, communications, and administrative law judges. These sub-offices report to the Office of the Managing Director.