Shutdown Halted Crash Probes, Could Cost Critical Evidence

Jan. 29, 2019

The 35-day partial government shutdown stopped the National Transportation Safety Board from dispatching investigators to 22 accidents that killed 32 people, jeopardizing some perishable evidence, the agency said Monday.

Source SFGATE

DETROIT (AP) — The 35-day partial government shutdown stopped the National Transportation Safety Board from dispatching investigators to 22 accidents that killed 32 people, jeopardizing some perishable evidence, the agency said Monday.

The NTSB will start investigations, but with some crashes now weeks old, critical lost evidence "potentially could prevent determination of probable cause for the accidents," the agency said in a statement.