NTSB Letterhead below is reconstructed / seal is slightly different - refer to PDF version for actual letterhead seal. All emphasis added. OCT 27 1999 Mr. Chalmers H. Goodlin The Burnelli Company, Inc. 2506 Ponce De Leon Boulevard Coral Gables, Florida 33134 Dear Mr. Goodlin: Thank you for your September 13, 1999, letter regarding the Burnelli Lifting Body design. You stated that the Burnelli design would significantly reduce the number of aviation accident fatalities. You also enclosed numerous articles and a videotape titled, "Burnelli: The Greatest Story in Aviation History," and you stated that the National Transportation Safety Board's process for fact-finding "in the cause for most air crash fatalities can outstrip common sense." The Safety Board does not have the authority or the staffing to recommend, endorse, or purchase equipment for research and evaluation. Therefore, the Safety Board cannot evaluate the practicality or safety of your design. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for the evaluation and certification of all systems to be used on commercial airplanes; therefore, you may wish to contact the following person at the FAA regarding your design: Mr. Nelson J. Miller, Manager FAA Technical Center Aircraft Safety Research Branch (AAR-4) Atlantic City Airport, New Jersey 08405 I regret that you are not satisfied with the Safety Board's fact-finding process. Please be assured that the Safety Board's fact-finding process is thorough and objective. During our investigations, the Board considers the expressed vies of all of the participants and any other comments or suggestions received from the public. Thank you for your interest in aviation safety, Sincerely,   Jim Hall Chairman .   Editor's note: If you compare Mr. Hall's letter (reproduced above) to the Burnelli letter of September 13, 1999 to which this is allegedly a response, you'll see that Mr. Hall leaves out the most important question of that letter: "Why has the NTSB failed to recognize that the cause of most aircrash fatalities is due to the fundamental flaws  which are inherent in conventional airliners?" Chairman Hall answers that the NTSB doesn't have the authority to recommend new types of equipment but that avoids the question.  Indeed, if they addressed the fundamental flaws inherent in the conventional airliner, they would have no choice but to recommend changes be made to the most dangerous aspects of aircraft design.  The Burnelli company didn't ask for an endorsement in their letter - they asked a specific question related to aircraft safety and discussed the Burnelli design in order to establish that it wasn't foolish to review the design features of the conventional design.  The NTSB has the authority and the mandate to recommend changes to existing designs to improve safety.  Mr. McCormick of the NTSB attests to that in an interview given to NOVA for a program called "Why Planes Burn" which aired on February 9, 1988 on PBS (WGBH):  "The Cincinnati accident resulted in eighteen recommendations, all aimed primarily at improving the fire safety of air transport category airplanes." Matthew McCormick National Transportation Safety Board On the PBS show: NOVA - Why Planes Burn [Video Clip - 778K] download QuickTime The eighteen recommendations referred to by Mr. McCormick are measures relative to this particular incident where a fire developed on Board a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 (CF-TLU) in flight on June 2, 1983. The plane landed twelve minutes after the fire was detected but out of the 46 people on board, 18 were injured and 23 died. Why didn't the NTSB issue similar recommendations with respect to accidents where it was clear that the common practice of hanging engines and landing gear onto fuel tank supporting structure has been the cause of numerous deaths? The NTSBs continued refusal to address this issue in the face of blatant questions and exposure can only be construed to mean that their interest is not what's best for the people.  Their inaction in this matter is - at the very least, is dereliction of duty and unconscionable. It's your money Congress is using to fund the NTSB and the NTSB uses it to look after someone else's interests - not yours!  Why not write your Congressman and/or your Senator, write to Mr. Hall [see Mr. Goodlin's previous letter for address], and require that they perform their duties in good faith!