The National Transportation Safety Board is set to add aviation experts Michael Graham and Thomas Chapman as its newest board members, bringing the board to full strength for the first time since last February.
The NTSB has been functioning with just three board members since the departure of member Earl Weener in July 2019.
“I am pleased to have our board back to its full complement and I know our work will benefit from the breadth and depth of experience of our two newest members,” said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt in a statement on Thursday.
Graham previously served as the director of flight operations safety, security and standardization for Textron Aviation, Inc. He oversaw the company’s safety management system, global security and air safety investigations.
He is the former chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, leader of the Single Pilot Safety Working Group of the National Business Aviation Association’s Safety Committee, and a member of the General Aviation Information Analysis Team.
Graham’s career began in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator flying A-7s and F/A-18s. He later worked as an F/A-18 aircrew instructor and avionics integration engineer for Boeing/McDonnell Douglas and joined Cessna in 1997 as a demonstration pilot. Graham is a certified airline transport pilot with 10,000 flight hours and is type-rated in six different Citation models. Graham earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico.
“It will be a privilege to be working with the premier team of technical and dedicated transportation safety experts of the NTSB,” said Graham.
Chapman previously served as minority counsel to the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, and has nearly four decades of experience in government, legislative and regulatory affairs. Chapman was involved in the recent bipartisan effort to pass comprehensive legislation reauthorizing the FAA, TSA and NTSB.
Chapman previously served as vice president for government affairs for US Airways, legislative counsel for Southwest Airlines, and senior vice president for government and technical affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Chapman is a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law, and earned a bachelor’s degree from C.W. Post College.
“The NTSB’s people are renowned for their skill and technical expertise. I am honored to join such a dedicated team and look forward to contributing to the important work of the agency,” said Chapman.
Sumwalt is scheduled to swear in Graham on Friday and Chapman on Monday. President Donald Trump nominated both members and the Senate voted to confirm them on Dec. 19.
Graham’s term as a board member is through 2025, and Chapman’s term runs through the end of 2023.
