Christopher Hart was confirmed last week as NTSB chairman, and he discussed his priorities for the safety agency at a Washington Aero Club luncheon last week.

Chairman Hart wants to redesign the way the agency conducts investigations “from scratch.” He said the main focus of the redesign will have two parts, including incorporating “major IT improvements” that have happened in recent years such as photos and videos from accident eyewitnesses and even experimenting with presenting final investigation reports as videos.

Another focus Hart is planning will be better consideration of the “internationalism” of the aviation industry and other countries and organizations that conduct investigations. Hart has no specific timeline for the changes, but hopes things will get underway during his two-year tenure as chairman.

The NTSB staff has been told by Hart that he does not want to maintain the status quo — “this is not a holding pattern!” The chairman wants to see two things: continuous improvement and improved collaboration — both internal and external.

HAI President Matt Zuccaro congratulates Chairman Hart on his confirmation as NTSB chairman and looks forward to continuing HAI’s and the NTSB’s strong working relationship on helicopter safety issues.