Information for

Family and Friends

Each case is unique.

If you have additional questions or concerns, 

please feel free to contact us.

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TIONAL TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY BOARD

E PLURIBUS UNUM

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TIONAL TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY BOARD

E PLURIBUS UNUM

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TIONAL TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY BOARD

E PLURIBUS UNUM

REGIONAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS

National Transportation Safety Board

Office of Transportation 

Disaster Assistance

490 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20594-2000

202-314-6185

1-800-683-9369

http://www.ntsb.gov

Whatkind of information can I expect 

to receive from the NTSB?

The NTSB only releases verified factual information. 

Typically there is very little confirmed factual 

information during the on-scene portion of our 

investigation. Validated factual information may be 

released, in an appropriate context, at any time during 

an investigation. Family members may request a verbal 

briefing by the IIC or the TDA representative regarding 

the progress of the investigation at any time. The NTSB 

will not speculate about any aspect of an investigation 

or offer any analysis about the probable cause while 

on-scene. Determining the probable cause of the 

accident and generating safety recommendations 

to prevent similar accidents from reoccurring is a 

complex process, often requiring 9 to 12 months of 

work following the on-scene investigation.

The NTSB may issue safety recommendations 

at any time during the investigation. 

Supporting resources that may provide 

additional information include:

NTSB Office of Transportation 

Disaster Assistance

Direct: 202-314-6185

Toll Free: 800-683-9369

e-mail: assistance@ntsb.gov

Internet: http://www.ntsb.gov

NTSB Public Inquiries Branch

Direct: 202-314-6551

Toll Free: 800-877-6799

e-mail: pubinq@ntsb.gov

SPC-05/05 November 2005

Be sure to state the date and location of the crash and 

if you were involved in the accident or are a family 

member. If you email or leave a message, we will try 

to respond by the next business day.
How Why

What How

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TIONAL TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY BOARD

E PLURIBUS UNUM

As a family member or friend of a victim of a 

transportation accident, you may have many 

questions about the National Transportation 

Safety Board and the role we will play in your 

life in the next days, weeks and months. This 

pamphlet was created to answer some of your 

initial questions and to give you a mechanism to 

obtain information as the investigation proceeds. 

is the NTSB?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an 

independent Federal agency charged by Congress 

with investigating every civil aviation accident in the 

United States and significant accidents in other modes 

of transportation - railroad, highway, marine, and 

pipeline. The NTSB determines the probable cause of 

accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed 

at preventing future accidents. The NTSB operates 

independently from the Department of Transportation 

(DOT).

The NTSB is composed of five Board Members who 

are nominated for five-year terms by the President 

and confirmed by the Senate. Two of the Members 

are designated by the President to serve as Chairman 

and Vice-Chairman for two-year terms. The Board’s 

headquarters are in Washington, D.C., with regional 

offices in Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort 

Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Parsippany, NJ, and 

Seattle.

will this accident be investigated?

The NTSB may send at least one investigator to an 

accident. He or she is the “Investigator-In-Charge” (IIC) 

and is responsible for managing all aspects of the 

investigation, both on-scene and after. The IIC has sole 

discretion to designate parties who will participate 

in the investigation. Parties are those persons, 

government agencies, companies, and associations 

whose employees, functions, activities, or products 

were involved in the accident and who can provide 

suitable qualified technical personnel to assist in the 

investigation.

An investigation results in three main documents:

1. A preliminary report, typically completed within five 

days of the accident, contains information revealed 

after the on-scene portion of the investigation 

and provides a synopsis of the accident sequence. 

The information in this report may change as the 

investigation proceeds. 

2. A factual report, which may take 9 to 12 months, 

contains all confirmed factual information and other 

supporting documents gathered over the course of 

the investigation. Factual reports range in length 

from a few to several hundred pages. If additional 

relevant factual material is developed after the 

release of the factual report, it will be added to the 

public docket. 

3. An accident brief describing the probable cause 

of the accident will be released in 9 to 12 months. 

This report is a 1 to 2 page document, supported by 

factual reports.

Detach this business card along

the perforated edge to keep with you.

National Transportation Safety Board

Office of Transportation 

Disaster Assistance

Direct: 202-314-6185

Toll Free: 800-683-9369

e-mail: assistance@ntsb.gov

Internet: http://www.ntsb.gov

an investigation takes so long to 

complete?

The NTSB is responsible for investigating every 

civil aviation accident in the United States and its 

territories. Each of our investigators work multiple 

accident investigations with the goal of producing 

highly accurate reports. Because each investigation is 

methodical and scientifically reviewed, determining 

the length of an investigation is difficult.

can I get information about the 

progress of an investigation?

The IIC is the authorized spokesperson at the accident 

scene concerning the accident investigation. If the IIC 

is unable to brief family members because of his or 

her investigative duties, questions may be referred to 

the NTSB’s Office of Transportation Disaster Assistance 

(TDA). Based in Washington, D.C., they can be reached 

at 800-683-9369 or via email at assistance@ntsb.gov. 

At some accidents, a member of the TDA staff may be 

present on-scene. If so, they will work with the IIC to 

provide factual information to family members.