National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman became emotional during a Saturday night press conference when discussing the latest on Wednesday’s deadly mid-air collision over Washington.
Three US service members and 64 people aboard a commercial jet were killed during a collision over Reagan airport that sent both aircraft into the Potomac River. Dozens of bodies had been recovered as of Saturday, but Inman said a lengthy investigation was ahead while authorities would continue to pull people from the wreckage.
He became emotional when discussing meetings with people who lost loved ones in the disaster and urged the proper authorities to listen to advice from his agency.
The NTSB’s designated spokesman on the disaster was asked by a reporter if he had spent time with victims’ families and also to elaborate on how they were doing. Inman at first responded:
There’s some that want to give us hugs. Some that are just mad and angry. They’re just all hurt and they still want answers, and we want to give them answers. The most devastating thing, I guess, today was they watched the news last night, and they know their loved ones were recovered. They’re thinking, is it going to take longer, and are going to be finding a loved one? How will this affect it? I mean, it’s horrible. No one should have to suffer this. So yeah, it is hard on them. They have a
lot of questions and they haven’t been through this. Unfortunately, we have a lot of experts. We’ve done a thousand, but that doesn’t mean it’s not completely new to them.
Inman referred to a token he got when he joined the NTSB that he said reminded him the tragedy would eventually lead to measures to save lives in the future.
But when addressing reporters, he noted at one point they would move on to other stories. He urged them to pressure government officials for safety changes while they had the chance:
Unfortunately, at some point, all of you are going to be gone. We’re still going have the investigation open. We’re going to make recommendations. We go to East Palestine. That community, it’s devastated. Still, nothing’s happened. We have several hundred recommendations open for aviation. You want to do something about it? Adopt the recommendations of the NTSB. You’ll save lives. Get off and do something. I don’t want to have to meet with another set of those parents like that again. It’s not fair, it could be your family.
While addressing the reporter who initially asked about his meetings with families, Inman said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I just – sorry.”
Watch above via CNN.