New chairman sworn in to take lead of the NTSB

Christopher A. Hart was sworn in as the 13th chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday during a ceremony lead by Chief Administrative Law Judge Alfonso Montano.

In January, President Barack Obama nominated Hart to serve as chairman; the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him on March 12. Hart has been serving as acting chairman since April 26, 2014.

"I am very grateful for this opportunity to lead this dynamic agency that is dedicated to improving transportation safety,” Hart said. “I have been involved in transportation safety for more than 30 years, and the NTSB truly sets the bar higher for continued safety improvement."

Prior to serving as active chairman, Hart was the vice chairman and a member of the board since 2009. He also was a member of the board from 1990 to 1993.

Hart is an aerospace engineer, attorney and licensed pilot with commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings. After serving as a board member from 1990 to 1993, Hart served as deputy administrator to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and then moved to the Federal Aviation Administration in 1995.

Before returning to the board again in 2009, Hart served as the FAA assistant administrator for system safety and then became deputy director for the Air Traffic Safety Oversight.