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2w ago

White House Fires NTSB Board Member Todd Inman Over Misconduct Claims

The White House cites misconduct for removing NTSB board member Todd Inman, a decision he disputes.

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National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, and members Thomas Chapman, Michael Graham and J. Todd Inman gather for an NTSB investigative hearing on the January 29 mid-air collision of an Army Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, at NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas REFILE - QUALITY REPEAT
Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ​​​J. Todd Inman looks on, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 31, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Overview

  • White House spokesperson Kush Desai said Inman was removed after reports of drinking on the job, harassing staff, misusing government resources, and missing at least half of board meetings.
  • Inman issued a categorical denial, calling the move a political hit job and saying he plans to defend his reputation through legal means.
  • Inman had served as the on‑scene or lead board member for major probes, including the January 2025 midair collision near Reagan National that killed 67 people and a November 2025 UPS cargo crash that killed 15.
  • The NTSB website lists fewer than five board members following Inman’s ouster and last year’s removal of Vice Chair Alvin Brown; the Senate recently confirmed John DeLeeuw to a separate vacant seat.
  • Federal law allows removal of NTSB members only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance, placing the firing within ongoing debates and litigation over presidential authority to reshape independent boards.