THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) IS unique within the massive U.S. federal government organizational chart. One might expect to find it next to the PAA among the "subsidiaries" of the Department of Transportation (DOT). It is not. The board was originally established in 1967, but in 1974, Congress reestablished the NTSB as a completely separate entity, noting that, "No federal agency can properly perform such (investigatory) functions unless it is totally separate and independent from any other ... agency of the United States." And because the DOT has broad operational and regulatory responsibilities that affect the safety, adequacy and efficiency of the transportation system, any accident within that system may suggest regulatory deficiencies. So, Congress determined that the NTSB's independence was necessary for proper oversight.
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