Notifying the NTSB when someone dies
Family member is responsible for notifying the NTSB
OverviewWhen someone dies
NTSB Headquarters
Phone(202) 314-6000
Mailing Address
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA) Division
Phone(202) 314-6185
Toll-Free1-800-683-9369
Emailassistance@ntsb.gov
Mailing Address
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
Response Operations Center (24/7 Accident Reporting)
Phone(202) 314-6290
Toll-Free1-844-373-9922
Timeline
TDA contact typically begins within hours to days of a qualifying accident launch. NTSB investigations themselves often take 12 to 24 months to complete; the TDA specialist remains available throughout.
WebsiteLearn more →
Hours24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Verified Jul 2026
When someone dies, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) must be notified. The family member is responsible for notifying the NTSB.
Notification deadline: No deadline for family contact. NTSB launches investigations as soon as practicable after being notified by carriers under 49 U.S.C. 1136 and 1139..
Steps to take
Steps for notifying the NTSB and applying for survivor benefits:
1
If the death involves a transportation accident not yet reported, contact the NTSB 24/7 Response Operations Center at 1-844-373-9922 or (202) 314-6290. Carriers and operators are typically the parties required to report; families generally do not need to make this call.
2
Wait for TDA contact, or reach out to TDA directly:
- •After NTSB launches an investigation, a TDA specialist will contact the immediate family
- •If you have not been contacted, call TDA at 1-800-683-9369 or (202) 314-6185
- •Email assistance@ntsb.gov with the accident date, location, and your relationship to the victim
3
Work with your assigned TDA specialist on:
- •Receiving investigative updates and answers about the investigation process
- •Coordinating personal effects recovery with the carrier and local authorities
- •Connecting with the designated independent family assistance organization for emotional and psychological support
- •Receiving private family briefings on accident findings before public release
- •Receiving notice of and access to NTSB public hearings on the accident
4
Coordinate with the local medical examiner or coroner on identification and release of the decedent. NTSB does not perform victim identification — that is the responsibility of local authorities — but the TDA specialist helps families navigate the process.
5
Be aware that no attorney or party to potential litigation may make an unsolicited contact about a personal-injury or wrongful-death action for 45 days after an aviation or rail passenger accident under 49 U.S.C. 1136(g)(2) and 1139(g)(2). Report any prohibited contact to TDA.
6
Request investigative updates using the NTSB TDA Investigative Update Request Form available through ntsb.gov/tda or by contacting your TDA specialist directly.
Required Documents
- Government-issued photo ID of the family member making contact
- Documentation of relationship to the victim (death certificate when available, marriage certificate, birth certificate, or letters testamentary)
- Accident date, location, and carrier (if known)
- Victim's full legal name and date of birth
Timeline
TDA contact typically begins within hours to days of a qualifying accident launch. NTSB investigations themselves often take 12 to 24 months to complete; the TDA specialist remains available throughout.
Survivor benefits
Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA) Specialist
After a qualifying transportation accident, NTSB assigns a TDA specialist to serve as the primary federal point of contact for victim families. The specialist provides investigative updates, coordinates with the carrier and other agencies, helps families navigate the investigative process, and remains available throughout the NTSB investigation. Authorized by 49 U.S.C. 1136 (aviation) and 49 U.S.C. 1139 (rail passenger).
Eligibility: Families and survivors of victims killed or injured in major NTSB-investigated transportation accidents (aviation, rail, highway, marine, pipeline, hazardous materials)
How to apply: Families are contacted directly by TDA after an investigation launches. Families can also reach TDA at 1-800-683-9369 or assistance@ntsb.gov
Learn more →Family Briefings Before Public Announcements
Under 49 U.S.C. 1136(e) and 49 U.S.C. 1139(e), NTSB must ensure that families of victims are briefed, prior to any public briefing, about the accident, its causes, and any other findings from the investigation. Families also receive individual notice of and access to NTSB proceedings related to the accident.
Eligibility: Immediate families of victims of qualifying aviation and rail passenger accidents
How to apply: TDA coordinates briefings directly with families through the assigned TDA specialist
Learn more →Independent Family Support Organization
NTSB designates an independent nonprofit organization with disaster-response experience to deliver emotional, psychological, and family support services. The designated organization meets with passengers and families at the accident site, contacts families who cannot travel, creates private grieving spaces, and helps facilitate a suitable memorial service in consultation with the families. Required by 49 U.S.C. 1136(a)(2) and 49 U.S.C. 1139(a)(2).
Eligibility: Families of victims of qualifying aviation and rail passenger accidents
How to apply: Coordinated automatically by NTSB and the carrier after a qualifying accident
Learn more →Personal Effects Recovery Coordination
NTSB and the designated family assistance organization coordinate with the carrier and local authorities to recover, catalog, and return personal effects of victims to their families. Specific procedures vary by accident and are coordinated by the TDA specialist.
Eligibility: Immediate families and legal representatives of victims
How to apply: Coordinated through the assigned TDA specialist
Learn more →Protection from Unsolicited Settlement Communications
Under 49 U.S.C. 1136(g)(2) and 49 U.S.C. 1139(g)(2), no unsolicited communication concerning a potential action for personal injury or wrongful death may be made by an attorney or potential litigation party to an individual injured in an accident, or to a relative of a victim, before the 45th day following the date of the accident.
Eligibility: Injured passengers and immediate families of victims of qualifying aviation and rail passenger accidents
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
No. Under 49 U.S.C. 1136(g)(2) (aviation) and 49 U.S.C. 1139(g)(2) (rail passenger), no attorney or party to potential litigation may make an unsolicited communication about a personal-injury or wrongful-death action to an injured passenger or to a victim's relative before the 45th day following the accident. Report any prohibited contact to your TDA specialist.
NTSB designates an independent nonprofit organization with disaster-response experience to deliver emotional, psychological, and family support services. The organization meets with passengers and families at the accident site, contacts families who cannot travel, creates private grieving spaces, maintains regular contact until assistance is no longer needed, and helps facilitate a suitable memorial service in consultation with the families. This is required by 49 U.S.C. 1136(a)(2) and 49 U.S.C. 1139(a)(2).
After completing the notification process, eligible survivors can apply for 5 benefits through the NTSB. Each benefit has its own eligibility requirements and application process.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the NTSB. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
NTSB Headquarters
Phone(202) 314-6000
Mailing Address
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA) Division
Phone(202) 314-6185
Toll-Free1-800-683-9369
Emailassistance@ntsb.gov
Mailing Address
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
Response Operations Center (24/7 Accident Reporting)
Phone(202) 314-6290
Toll-Free1-844-373-9922
Timeline
TDA contact typically begins within hours to days of a qualifying accident launch. NTSB investigations themselves often take 12 to 24 months to complete; the TDA specialist remains available throughout.
WebsiteLearn more →
Hours24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Verified Jul 2026