In the aftermath of the worst American air disaster in two decades, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is facing a crisis as it scrambles to retain its investigators amid a Trump administration offer to resign and be paid through September. An internal memo informed employees that they would not be eligible for the program, despite the initial offer to all 400 staff members.
The NTSB, an independent and apolitical agency, investigates transportation accidents, provides aid to those affected, and recommends safety measures. The agency received the offer, titled “Fork in the Road,” just 23 hours before the tragic collision of an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army Blackhawk helicopter, which resulted in the loss of all 67 lives on board.
Top brass at the agency worked behind the scenes to find a way to exempt employees from the offer, and on Friday, the head of the NTSB sent a message to employees who had agreed to the administration’s initial message, instructing them to rescind their deferred resignation letters immediately.
The initial offer came as a shock to staffers, including highly specialized investigators, many of whom are nearing retirement. One source said the offer was a surprise, as the agency already has a hard time finding people to fill positions.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy sent an agency-wide email on Friday, stating that the agency had been granted a full exemption to the deferred resignation program, meaning the program is not available to NTSB employees. The agency needs each and every position represented in order to successfully carry out its mission-critical work, particularly in the wake of the recent disaster.