Aero-News has learned Robert L. Sumwalt was sworn in earlier this morning as a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board. His term of office will run until December 31, 2011 -- the first two years of which he will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board.

Prior to coming to the Board, Sumwalt was Manager of Aviation for the SCANA Corporation. Sumwalt was a pilot for 24 years with Piedmont Airlines and then US Airways, logging over 14,000 flight hours and earning type ratings in five aircraft before retiring from the airline in 2005.

In a statement to Aero-News, the NTSB says Sumwalt has extensive experience as an airline captain, airline check airman, instructor pilot and air safety representative. For example, Sumwalt worked on special assignment to the US Airways Flight Safety Department from 1997 to 2004, where he was involved in the development of numerous airline safety programs, including an enhanced crew awareness program and a windshear training program.

From 2002 to 2004, he served on the US Airways Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) Monitoring Team. In that time, Sumwalt also served as a member of Air Line Pilots Association's (ALPA) Accident Investigation Board, and also worked with ALPA's Aviation Weather Committee on improving the quality of weather products available to pilots.

A trained accident investigator, Mr. Sumwalt participated in the NTSB's investigation of the crash of US Air flight 427 in 1994 near Aliquippa PA, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's investigation of the accident involving Swissair flight 111 off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1998.

Mr. Sumwalt has written extensively on aviation safety matters and has published over 85 articles and papers in aviation trade publications. He has broad experience in writing aircraft operations manuals and airline and corporate aviation policy and procedure guidelines. He has been a regular contributor to Professional Pilot magazine.

Sumwalt joined the faculty of the University of Southern California's Aviation Safety and Security Program, where he has been the primary human factors instructor. In recognition of his contributions to the aviation industry, Sumwalt received the Flight Safety Foundation's Laura Taber Barbour Award in 2003 and ALPA's Air Safety Award in 2004.

Sumwalt assumes the vice-chairmanship of the Board from Mark Rosenker, who was sworn in as NTSB Chairman earlier this month after serving as Acting Chairman since March 2005.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov