Former NTSB Vice Chair Alvin Brown Sues Trump Over Alleged Illegal Removal

Alvin Brown, the vice chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, claiming his removal from the position was illegal and lacked proper cause under the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974. Brown, a Democrat and the first African American mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, was dismissed on May 5, 2025, without any allegations of inefficiency, neglect, or malfeasance, which the law requires for such removals. His lawyers argue that Congress designed the NTSB's independence by limiting the president's authority to remove board members except for specified reasons, which they say Trump violated by removing Brown at will. The lawsuit emphasizes that Brown's dismissal threatens the board's effectiveness in investigating and reporting major transportation accidents, potentially disrupting its critical safety mission. The legal action also names the NTSB and its Chair Jennifer Homendy, seeking Brown's reinstatement and highlighting broader tensions as Trump has dismissed multiple Democratic members of independent federal agencies. Both the White House and NTSB have remained largely silent on the lawsuit amid growing concerns about aviation safety and calls for reforms in U.S. air traffic operations.