Woah, slow there. The NTSB tries to determine "Probably cause". That's a far cry from assigning blame. In particular, on every NTSB report there's a big box sp

Woah, slow there. The NTSB tries to determine "Probably cause". That's a far cry from assigning blame. In particular, on every NTSB report there's a big box specifically saying (my emphasis): > The NTSB does not assign fault or blame for an accident or incident; rather, as specified by NTSB regulation, “accident/incident investigations are fact-finding proceedings with no formal issues and no adverse parties ... and are not conducted for the purpose of determining the rights or liabilities of any person.” 49 C.F.R. § 831.4. Assignment of fault or legal liability is not relevant to the NTSB’s statutory mission to improve transportation safety by investigating accidents and incidents and issuing safety recommendations. Furthermore, to "ensure that Safety Board investigations focus only on improving transportation safety, the Board's analysis of factual information and its determination of probable cause cannot be entered as evidence in a court of law."