Homendy Has Served Since August 2018 On The Board

Jennifer Homendy was confirmed on Monday by the US Senate via voice vote to chair the NTSB. Homendy, 49,  has served since August 2018 on the board and worked previously on transportation issues as senior legislative staffer.

In January 2020, during the investigation into the helicopter crash that killed basketball star Kobe Bryant, Homendy was the on-scene board member. Additionally she was the on-scene board member for a September 2019 incident that killed 34 people in California due to a dive ship fire.

Homendy affirmed her qualifications during the Senate confirmation hearing. “I am a strong advocate for safety,” she said, “and I have spent nearly two decades supporting the critical safety mission of the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate crashes in all modes of transportation, determine the probable causes, and issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future tragedies and injuries and saving lives.”

She has previously spoken out about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for failing to make sure that self-driving vehicles pass public safety concerns. Homendy says of a fatal March 2018 Uber self-driving crash, that the NHTSA "put technology advancement here before saving lives." She notes that more than 36,000 people are killed in motor vehicle accidents annually. "The most dangerous way to travel in our country is on the road." she says.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov