Originally Posted by Mad (Flt) Scientist
My apologies to Mr Sumwalt; I admit I scanned the bios quite quickly.
In addition, I think it's quite important that the board be seen not to be a creature of the industry; it is, after all, one of the mechanisms by which the general public assures themselves of the safety of the transportation system, and if it were staffed entirely by industry insiders, there'd be even more people willing to cry "conspiracy" at every turn. It does, after all, fulfill a quasi-judicial/legal role, and we don't apply any expertise qualification to a jury on a capital trial....
First - sir, you are, indeed, a gentleman with character. Thanks.
Second - I think your statement about the NTSB is on target. The role they fill in accident investigation is not only valuable to the aviation industry, i.e., by pointing out the "probable cause" of accidents and incidents, but they also serve as a quasi-watch dog for the FAA. The Board isn't always right ... and they are often victims of political issues (as most persons are) ... but they are right a lot more than not and generally do a monumental service to the aviation idustry.