White House Appoints Michael Graham as NTSB Vice Chair

NTSB member Michael Graham was appointed to serve as vice chair, filling the slot vacated last year after the White House ousted Alvin Brown from the safety agency. Graham joined the Safety Board as the 45th member in January 2020 and has been nominated for a second term as a member that would extend through Dec. 31, 2030. His initial appointment as vice chair, meanwhile, is for three years.

Appointment to the vice chair role comes less than a month after the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted 21 to seven to forward the nomination for full Senate consideration.

Graham joined the NTSB with extensive operational experience and deep business aviation knowledge. He previously served as director of flight operations safety, security, and standardization at Textron Aviation, overseeing safety management systems, emergency response planning, air safety investigations, and airport operations. A former naval aviator, he was also active in business aviation organizations, including serving as an Air Charter Safety Foundation chairman and on safety committees at NBAA.

While on the Board, Graham has served as member on the scene for several major investigations, including the May 2025 accident involving a Mexican naval vessel striking the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City; February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio; November 2022 Wings Over Dallas midair collision; and October 2021 MD-87 runway excursion in Brookshire, Texas.