831.9—Authority of Board representatives.
(a) General.
Any employee of the Board, upon presenting appropriate credentials, is authorized to enter any property where an accident/incident subject to the Board's jurisdiction has occurred, or wreckage from any such accident/incident is located, and do all things considered necessary for proper investigation. Further, upon demand of an authorized representative of the Board and presentation of credentials, any Government agency, or person having possession or control of any transportation vehicle or component thereof, any facility, equipment, process or controls relevant to the investigation, or any pertinent records or memoranda, including all files, hospital records, and correspondence then or thereafter existing, and kept or required to be kept, shall forthwith permit inspection, photographing, or copying thereof by such authorized representative for the purpose of investigating an accident or incident, or preparing a study, or related to any special investigation pertaining to safety or the prevention of accidents. The Safety Board may issue a subpoena, enforceable in Federal district court, to obtain testimony or other evidence. Authorized representatives of the Board may question any person having knowledge relevant to an accident/incident, study, or special investigation. Authorized representatives of the Board also have exclusive authority, on behalf of the Board, to decide the way in which any testing will be conducted, including decisions on the person that will conduct the test, the type of test that will be conducted, and any individual who will witness the test.
(b) Aviation.
Any employee of the Board, upon presenting appropriate credentials, is authorized to examine and test to the extent necessary any civil or public aircraft (as specified in § 830.5 ), aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or property aboard such aircraft involved in an accident in air commerce.
(c) Surface.
(1)
Any employee of the Board, upon presenting appropriate credentials, is authorized to test or examine any vehicle, vessel, rolling stock, track, pipeline component, or any part of any such item when such examination or testing is determined to be required for purposes of such investigation.
(2)
Any examination or testing shall be conducted in such a manner so as not to interfere with or obstruct unnecessarily the transportation services provided by the owner or operator of such vehicle, vessel, rolling stock, track, or pipeline component, and shall be conducted in such a manner so as to preserve, to the maximum extent feasible, any evidence relating to the transportation accident, consistent with the needs of the investigation and with the cooperation of such owner or operator.
[53 FR 15847, May 4, 1988, as amended at 60 FR 40113, Aug. 7, 1995; 62 FR 3807, Jan. 27, 1997]