NTSB Member Says He Was Fired by White House

Abrupt dismissal came with no advance notice or explanation.

Zach Vasile

Monday, March 09, 2026 at 09:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

J. Todd Inman at an NTSB press conference [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

NTSB member J. Todd Inman was abruptly fired by the White House, two years into his five-year term, with no reason provided.
Inman was a prominent public face for the NTSB, leading the agency's response to the fatal midair collision over Washington, D.C., last year and other significant investigations.
This marks the second sudden removal of an NTSB member by the administration, following former Vice Chair Alvin Brown, raising concerns among aviation experts about unprecedented political intervention in the typically independent agency.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member who became the public face of the agency’s response to the fatal midair collision over Washington, D.C., last year was apparently fired by the White House late last week.

In a statement, J. Todd Inman said he received notice from the White House Presidential Personnel Office on Friday that his position was “terminated effective immediately.” The notice was conveyed on behalf of President Donald Trump, Inman said.