Bruce Landsberg this week officially began his duties as the vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. The Senate confirmed the nomination of Landsberg as a member and vice chairman of the Safety Board late last month, and NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt swore him in on August 7. He was appointed to a two-year term as vice chairman and five-year term as a member.

Landsberg steps into his new roles with decades of general aviation safety expertise, having formerly served as president of the AOPA Air Safety Institute as well as having held management positions with FlightSafety International and Cessna Aircraft. In addition, he brings deep operational knowledge with 6,000 hours as a pilot.

Sumwalt praised his background, saying Landsberg's “expertise and long-standing commitment to safety will be invaluable assets. We welcome him to the NTSB.”

“Throughout my career, I have had a great appreciation for the work the NTSB does,” Landsberg said. “It is an honor to join the NTSB in its pursuit of transportation safety in all modes of transportation.”

The Senate last month also confirmed the nomination of Jennifer Homendy. Homendy, who was appointed to fulfill the remainder of a vacated term that expires Dec. 31, 2019, is anticipated to join the board shortly. Once she is on board, the NTSB will have a full complement of five board members.