Still No Word From White House On Replacing NTSB Chairman

Come Sunday, the NTSB could be in an unusual spot -- without a chief when the current chairman, Ellen Engleman-Conners, is forced to step down.

Conners' term is up on Sunday. So you might figure, no problem -- there's always Vice Chairman Mark Rosenker. But his term is up on April 2nd.

Heard this song before? You bet you have. Two years ago, the Bush administration waited until the last hour before naming Conners to replace Acting Chairman Carol Carmody as her term came to an end.

In the meantime, Engleman-Conners is not winning many friends in DC. ANN has already reported on a number of internal issues that have arisen among NTSB staffers over her conduct and management style, while the public comments (as to cause... long before any real data is collected) she has made shortly after high-profile accidents have angered several high-profile aviation officials. As a result, several pundits on the hill see the Engleman-Conners scenario as having "little future at the NTSB."

FMI: www.ntsb.gov