NTSB Chairman Testifies on FSK Bridge Collapse and DCA Mid-Air Collision

FSK Bridge Collapse Anniversary and Investigation

• 🕯️ The NTSB Chairman marks the one-year anniversary of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, which tragically resulted in the loss of six lives and two serious injuries.
• 🚢 The incident involved the collision of the dolly with the Key Bridge shortly after 1:29 a.m.
• 🤝 The NTSB is pursuing this investigation with condolences and thoughts for the families affected.

NTSB's Role and Funding Needs

• 🏛️ The NTSB is an independent agency responsible for investigating and determining the probable cause of accidents across all modes of transportation in the U.S.
• 🌍 It also serves as the U.S. accredited representative for hundreds of overseas accident investigations annually.
• 📈 The agency is requesting an increase in FY25 funding to $145 million to support staffing, training, and technology, aiming to grow its agency size to 450 personnel from the current 427, moving closer to full staffing of approximately 500.
• 📊 The NTSB currently manages a workload of almost 1250 active investigations domestically and supports over 16 foreign investigations, with expectations for increasing complexity and volume.

Key Investigations and Safety Recommendations

• ✈️ An update is provided on the mid-air collision at DCA, with the NTSB having issued a preliminary report and urgent safety recommendations to the FAA earlier this month, which were swiftly accepted.
• 🌉 In the ongoing investigation of the dolly collision with the Key Bridge, urgent safety recommendations were issued last week to 30 owners of 68 bridges.
• ✅ The NTSB issued 132 new safety recommendations in 2024, with nearly 60% already voluntarily implemented, highlighting the value of their recommendations and stakeholder partnerships.
• ⚠️ The NTSB does not regulate or enforce; its singular focus is on saving lives through voluntary action and partnership.