Senate confirms NTSB chairman

Senators on Thursday unanimously confirmed Christopher Hart as the new chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. 

Hart has been the NTSB’s acting chief since April 2014 when Chairwoman Deborah Hersman stepped down. He’s been a member of the board since 2009. 

{mosads}Hart has overseen the agency’s investigation into recent accidents including commuter rail crashes in New York and California. 

The Senate also unanimously confirmed Tho Dinh-Zarr to be a member of the board through 2018. 

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) offered his support for Hart and Dinh-Zarr ahead of the vote. 

“Hart is a dedicated public servant with an extensive career in public transportation safety,” he said. “Like Mr. Hart, Dr. Tho Bella Dinh-Zarr has a distinguished career in transportation safety.” 

The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously approved Dinh-Zarr and Hart in February.