|
Bob
Francis presentation on accident investigation
Bob Francis, the former NTSB Vice
Chairman (during the TWA 800 and Valuejet
investigations) will be a guest lecturer
in my graduate class on system safety
(16.358) Friday morning. He has told
me his presentation will be informal
and that he hopes for lots of questions.
Everyone is invited -- the class starts
at 9 am in 33-418.
Bio:
In January 1995, Robert T. Francis
was appointed to the position of Vice
Chairman of the U.S. National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) by President Clinton
and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in
August 1995. In this position, Mr.
Francis was involved in a number of
transportation accident investigations,
including the explosion and crash
of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island,
New York; the crash of ValuJet Flight
592 in the Florida Everglades; an
Amtrak train derailment in Arizona;
a fire aboard the cruise ship Ecstasy
near Miami; a tour bus accident near
New Orleans; a powered glider accident
in Minden, Nevada; and a Learjet 35
accident in Mina, South Dakota. Mr.
Francis also has chaired a number
of NTSB public hearings including
the hearing on Part 145 aviation maintenance
practices and oversight; the hearing
of Korean Air Flight 801 that crashed
in Guam; and the hearing on passive
grade crossing safety in the U.S.
In addition to his accident investigation
work and other NTSB duties, he has
been actively involved as a member
of the Air Transport Association of
America's Steering Committee on Flight
Operations Quality Assurance programs,
and the Flight Safety Foundation's
ICARUS Committee, a group composed
of worldwide aviation experts who
gather formally to share ideas on
reducing human error in the cockpit.
Prior to his appointment to the NTSB,
Mr. Francis served as Senior Representative
for the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) in Western Europe and North
Africa and was based in Paris, France.
Representing the FAA Administrator,
he worked extensively on aviation
safety and security issues with U.S.
and foreign air carriers, transportation
governmental authorities, aircraft
manufacturers, and airports. In conjunction
with his work at the NTSB, Mr. Francis
received the Aviation Week and Space
Technology 1996 Laurels Award and
was recognized by both the U.S. Navy
and the U.S. Coast Guard for meritorious
service in the TWA Flight 800 investigation.
Mr. Francis received his A.B. from
Williams College and attended Boston
University and the University of Ibadan,
Nigeria. He holds a commercial pilot
certificate with instrument and twin-engine
ratings. He is a member of the French
Academy of Air and Space, a Fellow
of the Royal Aeronautical Society,
a member of the Wings Club of New
York, a trustee of the Aero Club of
Washington, and a member of the Board
of Directors for Women in Aviation,
International, the Executive Council
of NASA's Aviation Safety Program,
and NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory
Panel.
|
