The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee plans to meet on April 10 to review Jennifer Homendy’s nomination for another term as chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Appointed by President Joe Biden, Homendy has overseen significant transportation incidents during her tenure, including the collapse of a Baltimore bridge and a mid-air emergency involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9.
Homendy has been with the NTSB since 2018 and took on the role of chair in August 2021. Her background includes previous work as a senior legislative staffer focusing on transportation issues.
Under her leadership, a key focus has been the investigation into Boeing’s handling of a door plug probe, where she criticized the company for not cooperating fully.
Senate discusses Homendy’s leadership (Via Clark West/Getty Images)
She has also advocated for stronger aviation safety measures, such as installing cockpit voice recorders capable of recording 25 hours of data.
Following transportation accidents like the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Homendy has stressed the NTSB’s role in holding accountable those involved and preventing future incidents.
Beyond aviation, she has expressed concerns about the safety of driver assistance systems like Tesla Autopilot and emerging self-driving technologies. Homendy has called for stringent oversight by agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
She emphasizes the importance of taking proactive steps to prevent potential disasters, highlighting the need for preemptive action before serious events occur.
