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4mo ago

Trump Administration Removes NTSB Vice Chair Alvin Brown, Leaving Board with Four Trump Appointees

The unprecedented removal of the Biden-appointed official comes during heightened scrutiny of U.S. aviation safety following major incidents and disruptions.

FILE - National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, center, pauses while speaking accompanied by NTSB Investigator in Charge, Marcel Muise, left, and NTSB board member Alvin Brown, during a news conference, March 27, 2024, in Linthicum Heights, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - The seal of the National Transportation Safety Board is seen before a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Jan. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
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Overview

  • Alvin Brown, a Biden-appointed vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), was removed by the Trump administration without an official explanation on May 5, 2025.
  • This marks the first known instance in modern history of a White House removing an NTSB board member before the end of their term, according to experts.
  • The NTSB now lists only four members, all appointed by President Trump, raising concerns about the agency's traditionally bipartisan and independent status.
  • Brown’s removal coincides with ongoing investigations into over 1,000 transportation safety cases, including a January midair collision that killed 67 people.
  • The dismissal is part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration replacing Democratic appointees in independent federal agencies with Republican-aligned officials.