Definition
The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that conducts and publishes research on all modes of transportation, including aviation. Its work informs policy, safety standards, infrastructure planning, and operational practices used by federal agencies such as the FAA.
Plain English
A national research body that studies how transportation systems work and how to make them safer and more efficient. In aviation, its findings often shape FAA decisions and airport planning.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym lists, reference material, and safety or research documents connected with transportation and aviation.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rarely interact with the TRB directly, but its research underpins many of the safety rules, runway design standards, and operational guidelines that show up later in FAA publications and airport infrastructure.
Example Sentence 1
The new runway safety area standards were informed by a Transportation Research Board (TRB) study on runway excursions.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots sometimes review TRB reports when preparing for changes in airport operations.