Senate Confirms DeLeeuw to NTSB over Dem Objections

The National Transportation Safety Board is set to return to its full complement of board members with the confirmation of John DeLeeuw to fill a term that expires at the end of this year. A former U.S. Air Force pilot who has served as managing director of safety and efficiency at American Airlines and teaches aviation safety at the University of Southern California, DeLeeuw was confirmed last week in a 50-45 vote that went along party lines.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, had objected to the vote because he was slated to complete the term of a board seat formerly held by Alvin Brown. Brown, who was first nominated to the board in August 2022, was removed from his seat last May. Brown had filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement.

Ahead of the vote, Cantwell explained her opposition: “It is not necessarily about Mr. DeLeeuw's qualifications; it is about the dangerous precedent we are making as we confirm someone to replace an independent NTSB board member who was removed by the president without cause, while they are actively challenging this removal in court. And it is about a needless jeopardizing of public confidence in NTSB’s critical work.”

DeLeeuw joins Jennifer Homendy, J. Todd Inman, Michael Graham, and Thomas Chapman on the board.

Vertical Aviation International president and CEO François Lassale welcomed the addition. “The NTSB plays a central role in strengthening transportation safety through independent investigation and clear, fact-based recommendations. John DeLeeuw’s operational background and safety leadership will contribute to the board’s important work.”