NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
June 7, 2000

NTSB BOARD MEETING WILL EXAMINE RUNWAY INCURSIONS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CARGO ACCIDENTS ON JUNE 13

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2000 at 9:30 am. The Board meeting will be held in the NTSB's new Boardroom/Conference Center located at 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC.

Two items will be on the agenda:

Runway Incursions: The Board will consider safety recommendations to the FAA derived from investigation of some of the most serious runway incursions that occurred in the U.S. in 1999. There were over 300 runway incursions reported in 1999. The Board is concerned that, given the forecasted growth in air traffic, the frequency of runway incursions will increase substantially, presenting a significant safety challenge that demands attention. (NTSB Media Contact: Paul Schlamm, 202-314-6100).

Hazardous Materials Accidents: The Board will review two accidents where errors in cargo transfer led to loss of life, injuries and extensive property damage. In Whitehall, Michigan, on June 4, 1999, a tank truck cargo of a sodium hydrosulfide solution was introduced into a storage tank containing ferrous sulfate. The reaction between the different chemicals produced a toxic gas that killed the truck driver and caused over $400,000 in damages. A similar accident on November 19, 1998, at a Ford Motor Company plant in Louisville, Kentucky, involving a liquid mixture of nickel nitrate/phosphoric acid and sodium nitrate resulted in the evacuation of about 2400 people from the plant and surrounding businesses and cause over $190,000 in damages. (NTSB Media Contact: Phil Frame, 202-314-6100).

Directions to the new NTSB Boardroom/Conference Center:

The street entrance is located on Lower 10th Street just below the L'Enfant Plaza Promenade running between D Street and Frontage Road, S. W. It is right next to the public garage entrance. From the L'Enfant Plaza Metro: Take the 9th & D exit, walk through shopping plaza towards CVS and take escalator down to lower level. The Board room will be to the left.