Former Airline Pilot to NTSB

[Groucho]

Business and Commercial Aviaton Magazine
July 2006, Page 20


"President Bush will nominate Robert L. Sumwalt, a corporate flight department manager and former airline pilot for a seat on the NTSB. Sumwalt will be nominated for remainder of the five-year term of Ricahrd A. Healing, who left the board in 2005, and also for an additional five-year term expiring at the end of 2011. Once the Senate confirms Sumwalt Bush plans to designate him as vice chairman of the Board"

"Sumwalt was a US Airways captian for 24 years and is currently manager of aviation for SCANA Corp. a King Air operator based in Columbia, SC. He also served on the NBAA Safety Committee and wrote many safety articles in various publications."

I don't know Bob except for his work and that we both are former corporate types and for a while worked at the same airline. His reputation with NBAA and ALPA precede him. The NTSB couldn't have picked a better candidate , his work in human factors and CRM have made a great impact in the industry.

The NTSB and all professional pilots will be well served by his future tenure.

 

[Metro752]

outstanding, now get someone like that at the FAA

 

[JAFI]

outstanding, now get someone like that at the FAA

With all the laid off airline pilots the FAA has hired many in the field offices and at HQ in DC.

IMHO this will change little. Any change will mostly come from the political appointees at the top, what money is granted from the congress, and the attitude of the american public (the number and maginitude of crashes. You must fatality crash a congressmans son or a couple hundred of citizens to get any action).

I see less and less Federal involvement and more "Insurance Company" involvement. At least until the Democrats take over Congress again.

I do not see any new board member on the NTSB making much impact. He will be surrounded and out numbered by "political" people in DC. Remember EVERYTHING in DC is Political.....

Just MHO.

JAFI

 

[Groucho]

I would argue that it is a start. As the vice chair of the NTSB, Bob will have a bully pulpit with which to argue safety issues in the press and via other outlets. He is well published including a book on accident analysis and neumerous articles in pro-pilot and BCA.

Most of the other memebers of the board a faceless and nameless breaucrats, some with very little aviation or transport industry experience. The NTSB is designed to be an independent organization and although they have no statuatory power they have the most wanted list and the ear of the JAA and other world organizations.

Bob has a very exstensive background in the human factors area of airline and aircraft operations. He "gets it" with regards to how the system works or doesn't work, as the case may be. It is true he alone or the NTSB alone cannot change the Washington breauracy but they can give real recomendations based on real time experience.

 

[sky37d]

outstanding, now get someone like that at the FAA

Yeah, tell Marion to take a hike