The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Christopher Hart as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board nearly a year after he became acting chairman following the departure of Deborah Hersman from the position last April.
Hart’s appointment also received unanimous praise from aviation leaders, who pointed to his qualifications as an aviator. He is an experienced GA pilot who holds a commercial certificate with multiengine and instrument ratings. He also earned a law degree from Harvard University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Princeton University.
Hart’s great uncle, James Herman Banning, became the first African-American to receive a government-issued pilot’s license in 1926.
Hart was nominated to become NTSB chairman by President Obama earlier this year. Senators also confirmed Tho Bella Dinh-Zarr to be a member of the NSTB.
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