The master cylinder (center) in the first school bus, with hydraulic fluid seepage covering the cylinder body.
were found in a small spiral notebook. NTSB also said that neither the company owner nor the mechanic had any formal training in servicing heavy-duty passenger vehicles. Maintenance records showed that “full service,” including a tailpipe and rear-brake check,
had been performed on the first bus on April 29, 2010. Te second bus also received “full service” on March 31, 2010, and two brake lines were repaired in September 2009. Te buses had both passed state-certified inspection by a local service station in March and July 2010. NTSB recommended that Missouri revise its state regulations to require periodic safety
reviews of motor carrier operations for companies involved in student transportation. Missouri was also urged to audit its vehicle inspection program and revise its school bus evacuation regulations in the state motor vehicle inspection regulations. Te revisions include instruction on safe riding practices and on the location and operation of emergency exits for all activity and field trips. NTSB also called for a modification to state school bus inspections procedures to identify all brake defects during biannual inspections. Te Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was found to
be insufficient in training school bus drivers on the risks of inattention, the need for proper road scanning and safe following distances. NAPT Board Member Ken Mulder, director of transportation at Special School District in St. Louis, said the current inspection program, is designed as a spot check. Te onus for regular maintenance falls on individual districts, contractors and parochial schools. “Tis inspection program had a lot of good changes over the years. (Te Highway Patrol
has) worked closely with (the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation) and with the local districts and contractors in making sure that the proper items have been identified and included on the inspection,” he said. “Tere are always going to be those that wait until inspection day to repair their buses and those who don’t care for the program, but for those of us who take pride in making sure we have safe buses to transport our students to and from school everyday are the ones being impacted right now.” NTSB recommended to NAPT, NASDPTS and NSTA that they disseminate detailed
information on the crash investigation to members. Te three national associations were also called on to discuss solutions for ensuring proper driver following distances and for the risks of inattention, as well as pre-trip evacuation briefings and vehicle, inspection and technological issues contained in the report.
SCHOOL BUS INTERIOR FINDINGS NTSB said the emergency exit was hindered in the lead Blue Bird school bus because
of the design of the emergency window, which Blue Bird representatives told the agency was redesigned in 2005 so that the hinges are now vertically positioned instead
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