National Transportation Safety Board News

Calls for New Regulation Mount as New York Limo Crash Victims Mourned

The day after a mourning community said last goodbyes to eight of 20 victims of a limousine crash – four sisters and four other relatives – the Senate’s top Democrat called on federal regulators to formulate new safety standards for …

Gas Blasts Near Boston Linked to NiSource Unit’s Work Orders

A series of explosions that rocked several towns north of Boston, Mass., last month has been linked to work orders given to a crew replacing aging natural gas pipes, according to federal safety investigators. Crews contracted by NiSource Inc.’s Columbia …

New York Governor Says Limo That Crashed Shouldn’t Have Been on the Road

The supersized limousine that crashed and killed 20 people outside a country store failed a safety inspection last month and shouldn’t have been on the road, and the driver wasn’t properly licensed, New York’s governor said Monday. The state moved …

Virginia Police Say Pilot Has Died in a Single-Engine Plane Crash

Police in Virginia say a 65-year-old man has died after his single-engine plane crashed in the far western part of the state. Virginia State Police said in a statement that the plane was reported missing shortly after 2 a.m. on …

Massachusetts Senators Say Utility ‘Woefully’ Unprepared for Gas Explosions

The natural gas company at the center of the explosions north of Boston last month was “woefully unprepared” to prevent or respond to the unfolding disaster, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey said Friday after a review of internal company …

Official Says Pressure Sensors Are Focus of Massachusetts Gas Explosions Probe

The investigation into the Boston, Mass.-area natural gas explosions is partially focused on pressure sensors that were connected to a gas line that was being taken out of service shortly before the blasts, the head of the National Transportation Safety …

Kansas City Star: Changes Urged After Spike in Deadly Big Truck Crashes

Tractor-trailers and other large trucks aren’t required to have crash-avoidance technology, despite thousands of crashes annually and repeated calls for it to be mandated. Federal data shows that more than 4,300 people were killed in accidents involving semis and other …

Deadly Gas Explosions Near Boston Put Focus on Pipe Safety

Federal investigators were dispatched to three towns just outside Boston after dozens of explosions and fires along NiSource Inc.’s natural gas network left at least one person dead and 13 injured and displaced over 8,000 customers. Massachusetts State Police reported …

Safety Board Seeks to Mandate Anti-Lock Brakes, Stability Controls on U.S. Motorcycles

A federal safety agency is recommending that all new motorcycles built for road use in the U.S. have anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control as standard equipment. The National Transportation Safety Board voted 5-0 on Tuesday to make the recommendations …

No Problems Cited in Preliminary NTSB Report for Vermont Plane Crash

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board finds no apparent reason for a fatal plane crash last month in Brighton, Vermont. The Caledonian Record reports that it’ll likely be months before a cause is determined and put in …