By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump is nominating an American Airlines pilot and safety official to serve on the National Transportation Safety Board, according to Senate records.
John DeLeeuw, managing director of safety and efficiency for American Airlines and a Boeing 787 captain, has been named to fill the seat of Alvin Brown, an appointee of the Biden administration who was dismissed by the White House in May.
The NTSB investigates all civil aviation accidents and significant highway, marine, pipeline and rail accidents. It determines the probable cause of accidents and makes safety recommendations.
“John’s going to be an excellent addition to the board, if confirmed. We’re very excited about the nomination, and we’ll be working with him through the process,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in an interview.
There has been heightened concern about aviation safety in the U.S. following the January 29 mid-air collision of a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67.
Other incidents also have raised alarm, including a string of near-miss incidents around the country and equipment and air traffic control staffing problems disrupted hundreds of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport near New York City. A close call on May 1 near the Pentagon in Washington forced two civilian planes to abort landings.
A law signed by President Donald Trump in July approved $12.5 billion for air traffic control improvements, including $2 billion for the first new en-route air traffic center since the 1960s.
Trump also is nominating Surface Transportation Board member Michelle Schultz for a new term and Richard Kloster, who heads a private transportation consulting company, to an open seat at the agency, which is considering the proposed $85 billion merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.
The White House last month fired Surface Transportation Board member Robert Primus, who had been appointed by the Biden administration.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Mark Porter and Paul Simao)
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