Aug. 8, 2017 // NATCA Congratulates the Honorable Robert L. Sumwalt on Confirmation as NTSB Chairman

WASHINGTON – National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Paul Rinaldi and Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert issued the following statement about the U.S. Senate confirmation of the Honorable Robert L. Sumwalt as the 14th Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB):

“We congratulate Chairman Sumwalt on his confirmation. He brings a wealth of experience to the position from his extensive career in aviation. He was appointed to the NTSB in August 2006, and has served on the Board under President George W. Bush, President Barack Obama, and President Donald Trump, who designated Sumwalt Vice Chairman on March 31, 2017.

“Before joining the NTSB, Sumwalt was a pilot for 32 years and accumulated more than 14,000 flight hours. Sumwalt has chaired the Air Line Pilots Association’s Human Factors and Training Groups, and co-founded ALPA’s critical incident response program. He also spent eight years as a consultant to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS).

“During his time with the NTSB, Sumwalt has led several teams of NTSB aviation investigations. He is a fierce advocate for improving safety and is committed to fostering a safety culture within aviation. His leadership on studies, recommendations, and improvements has advanced safety in aviation as well as furthered the public discussion on these issues.

“NATCA looks forward to working with him on this shared vision.”

MORE INFORMATION: Doug Church, Director of Communications; 301-346-8245 or [email protected]

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Certified in 1987, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association represents nearly 20,000 highly skilled air traffic controllers, engineers, and other aviation safety-related professionals.

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