On Monday, the White House announced the dismissal of Alvin Brown, the vice-chairman of the National Road Safety Commission. This move is part of a series of firings by President Donald Trump affecting independent federal agencies.
Brown, who made history as Jacksonville, Florida’s first elected African-American Democrat, participated in a board meeting back in March 2024. He was appointed to the vice-chair position by then-President Joe Biden in December.
The White House confirmed his exit.
Brown did not respond to inquiries from his personal email regarding his removal.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is responsible for investigating all civil aviation accidents and significant incidents across various transportation modes, including highways and railroads. They seek to identify accident causes and recommend safety measures.
Since taking office, Trump has dismissed two Democrats from the Federal Trade Commission, along with members of the National Labor Relations Commission, the Merit System Protection Commission, and the Federal Election Commission.
This recent firing comes as concerns about aviation safety are increasing, especially following the tragic air collision on January 29 between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, resulting in 67 fatalities.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy is set to advocate for billions in funding from Congress to revamp U.S. air traffic control systems and personnel during a presentation on Thursday.
Equipment and staffing issues at Newark Airport led to significant flight disruptions last week, causing United Airlines to cancel approximately 10% of its daily flights there. These occurrences have raised serious concerns.
On April 28, during a critical moment, Newark air traffic controllers lost radio contact with a plane for about 30 seconds, Duffy reported on Monday.
