NTSB Board member Earl Weener sat outside at a caf at AirVenture with AVwebs Rick Durden to talk about what the NTSB does, his background in aviation and some of his thoughts on improving aviation safety. Weener holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, one of three degrees he earned at that institution while working his way through school flight instructing and flying charter. Before being appointed by the president to the board, he spent 24 years in engineering positions at Boeing and was a Foundation Fellow for the Flight Safety Foundation. He flies a B36TC Bonanza and still holds a flight instructor certificate. Weener explained that the purpose of the NTSB in the aviation sector is to investigate accidents, make determinations as to cause and make recommendations to the FAA and aviation organizations regarding areas where safety could be improved. It does not have the authority to compel action-therefore Weener said that recommendations it makes must be well supported to be taken seriously and result in safety improvements.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/air-shows-events/interview-with-ntsb-board-member-earl-weener