LICKING COUNTY, Ohio — A National Transportation Safety Board team started their work at the scene of a deadly highway crash in Ohio involving a charter bus filled with high school students. The crash left six people dead and 18 others injured.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said that the safety board team was at the scene for the first time on Wednesday to get an overview of the site and start looking for cameras and other evidence from the five vehicles involved in the crash.
Homendy said there was “conflicting information” about the sequence of events that led to the chain-reaction crash, which also involved an SUV and a semitruck. The Pioneer Trails charter bus was carrying students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District, who were headed to perform at the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus.
Here's what you you need to know about the NTSB investigation:
How long will the investigation take?
The team will likely be in the area for five to seven days, but Homendy said the investigation could take between 12 and 18 months.
NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report in two to three weeks, but the report would only include information on the crash itself. However, at any time during the investigation period, NTSB could issue urgent safety recommendations.
What are investigators looking into?
NTSB will examine safety issues, including motorcoach occupant protection, collision avoidance systems for commercial motor vehicles and vehicle fire causation.
Investigators focusing on crash reconstruction will map and document the crash scene and the vehicles involved. They will analyze roadway markings, review drone footage and reconstruct the events that led to the crash.
Investigators will also look into electronic data recorders that were found on some of the vehicles. They will also examine footage that was gathered by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and from vehicles that may have been in the area of the crash.
The agency also utilizes the "party system," bringing in other organizations and companies to help with the investigation.
Once the information and evidence are gathered, the NTSB will piece together a sequence of events, and determine a probable cause for the incident.
Why is the NTSB investigating the Ohio bus crash?
The NTSB will investigate when it is notified of a crash and modal leadership decides to launch an investigation. This will typically happen in the immediate aftermath of the incident unless critical safety issues are identified by another authority.
NTSB's focus during the investigation is on transportation safety and determining probable cause.
What happens once the investigation is complete?
A final report will be released when the investigation is completed, which could take up to 18 months.
The report will include a probable cause for the incident, safety issues and recommendations on what could be done to improve the roadway and surrounding environment to prevent similar crashes.
Once the recommendations are issued, NTSB staff will keep in contact with the recommendation recipients to track the progress of adoptions.