Biden-Appointed NTSB Vice Chair Dismissed by Trump Administration

A White House official has verified to CBS News that the vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), appointed by President Joe Biden at the end of last year, has been dismissed from the role.

Alvin Brown, who once held the position of Jacksonville, Florida's first African American mayor, was officially ousted from his NTSB role on Tuesday. President Biden had designated him as the vice chair in December. Brown became part of the board at the beginning of 2024, swearing in alongside Todd Inman, another Biden appointee who is a Republican.

The NTSB operates as an independent body, with its board members chosen by the president and confirmed by the Senate, serving terms of five years. The roles of chair and vice chair are specifically appointed by the president to serve for three years, though only the chair position requires additional Senate confirmation.

With Brown's removal, the board is now left with four members: Todd Inman, Chair Jennifer Homendy, Michael Graham, and Thomas Chapman. All but Homendy were initially appointed by former President Trump, although Biden appointed Homendy as chair.

NTSB's Role and Current Investigations

The National Transportation Safety Board is responsible for investigating every fatal general aviation mishap, including significant accidents in commercial transport and other transportation types, as well as pipeline accidents. The agency itself has no regulatory power; instead, it works on determining accident causes and offers safety recommendations to avert future occurrences.

Currently, the NTSB is looking into several aviation accidents, such as a major incident in January over Washington, D.C., a series of deadly small aircraft crashes, and an Alaska Airlines mid-flight door panel incident from the previous year.

Declining to comment further, the NTSB has redirected all inquiries about Brown’s dismissal to the White House.

Alvin Brown's termination was initially disclosed by Reuters.