WASHINGTON, March 8 - A Republican member of the National Transportation Safety Board said on Sunday that the White House terminated his appointment on Friday and provided no explanation for the action.
Todd Inman, who had been appointed to the NTSB in April 2024, confirmed he was removed from the board. Inman previously served as chief of staff to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao during President Donald Trump’s first term.
During his tenure on the board, Inman served as the on-scene NTSB board member at two deadly aviation accidents. He was on scene for the January 2025 collision involving an American Airlines aircraft and an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport that resulted in 67 fatalities. He also served as the on-scene board member following a November crash of a UPS cargo plane during takeoff from the Louisville, Kentucky, airport that killed 15 people.
The White House had earlier removed then-NTSB vice chair Alvin Brown in May. Brown, a Democrat who was the first-ever African American elected mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, has filed a lawsuit challenging his dismissal.
The notice of Inman’s dismissal, as reported by Inman himself, did not include any public explanation or rationale from the White House. Beyond Inman’s account that he was fired and the prior dismissal and legal challenge involving Alvin Brown, public details in this report are limited to the facts noted above.
This account is confined to the information supplied regarding personnel actions at the NTSB and the board member’s roles at two major accident sites. No additional reasons or motives have been provided by the White House in connection with these removals.
Clear summary
Todd Inman, a Republican NTSB member and former chief of staff to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, said he was fired by the White House on Friday without explanation. Inman had been on the NTSB since April 2024 and acted as the on-scene board member at two fatal air accidents that together resulted in 82 deaths. The White House earlier dismissed then-vice chair Alvin Brown in May; Brown is challenging that removal in court.
Key points
- Todd Inman was fired by the White House on Friday without an explanation; he had been on the NTSB since April 2024.
- Inman served on scene at the January 2025 American Airlines collision with an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people, and the November crash of a UPS cargo plane at Louisville that killed 15.
- The White House previously removed NTSB vice chair Alvin Brown in May; Brown has filed suit to contest his dismissal.
Risks and uncertainties
- The White House did not provide a reason for Inman’s dismissal, leaving the motive and official rationale unclear - an uncertainty affecting perceptions of agency personnel decisions.
- A legal challenge has been filed by a previously dismissed NTSB official, Alvin Brown, indicating ongoing litigation related to White House removals from the board.
- Information in this report is limited to the personnel actions and Inman’s documented roles at the two crash sites; no further explanatory details have been provided by the White House.