The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report into last month’s fatal Tesla Model 3 crash in Katy, Texas, and its initial findings support Tesla’s earlier statement that the driver, not the vehicle’s driver-assistance system, was controlling the car in the moments before impact.
NTSB confirms driver overrode FSD
According to the report, the driver had Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system engaged while travelling on Rose Hollow Lane, a residential street with a 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit. However, electronic data recovered from the vehicle showed the driver manually overrode the system by pressing the accelerator pedal to 100%.
The NTSB also confirmed the Model 3 was travelling at more than 70 mph (113 km/h) when it left the roadway and crashed into a home, fatally injuring 76-year-old Martha Avila, who was inside the home at the time. The driver sustained only minor injuries, and was later charged with manslaughter.
Findings align with Tesla’s earlier statements
The preliminary findings closely align with comments made by Tesla Vice President of AI Software Ashok Elluswamy shortly after the crash. Elluswamy said vehicle data showed the driver had overridden the system with full accelerator input, allowing the car to reach 73 mph (117 km/h) before impact.
At the time, some questioned Tesla’s interpretation of the vehicle logs because they had not yet been independently reviewed. The NTSB’s report now confirms investigators recovered electronic data from the vehicle showing the driver manually overrode FSD before the crash.
What’s next
While the preliminary report confirms the driver overrode FSD before the collision, the NTSB said that its investigation is ongoing. The agency said it will continue examining all aspects of the crash before determining the probable cause and issuing any safety recommendations.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also conducting its own Special Crash Investigation into the incident. No details of their investigation has been released.
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