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, who was the public face of the agency's response to a fatal midair collision over Washington, D.C., last year, was abruptly fired by the White House without explanation.
Inman was two years into his five-year term, and his dismissal follows the similarly abrupt removal of NTSB Vice Chair Alvin Brown in May 2025, for which no reason was given.
Aviation experts consider direct presidential intervention to reshape the NTSB's composition, as seen with these removals, to be highly unusual.
Inman's parting statement expressed hope that the NTSB's leadership and culture remain unimpeded by political or personal agendas.

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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.