What is the role of the FAA in accident investigations?

The correct role of the FAA in accident investigations is to provide oversight and support to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the agency responsible for leading these investigations. The NTSB conducts thorough investigations into aviation accidents to determine the probable cause and offers safety recommendations to prevent future occurrences.

While the FAA does play an important part by conducting preliminary investigations, its primary focus is on regulatory oversight and enforcing aviation safety standards rather than leading the investigations themselves. This collaborative framework allows the FAA to implement safety regulations based on the findings of the NTSB investigations, ensuring that regulatory measures evolve based on identified risks and causes.

In contrast, other options present inaccurate representations of the FAA’s role. Some suggest that the FAA leads all investigations or indicates that the FAA has no involvement at all, which undermines the collaborative nature of aviation safety efforts in the United States. Similarly, limiting the FAA's role exclusively to commercial airline accidents fails to recognize that the FAA’s regulations and oversight span all types of aviation operations, not just commercial flights.