Farmingdale High School Band bus crash NTSB documents released: Driver said tire blowout was 'my nightmare'

The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday released the first public report on the Farmingdale High School Band 2023 bus crash, given by the woman behind the wheel.

“I heard the bang and the steering wheel flew out of my hands, so I knew exactly what it was. I knew it was a front tire blowout,” driver Lisa Schaffer said in an NTSB interview on September 24, 2023, from a hospital in Middletown, New York.

She said she tried to grab the steering wheel again, but it didn't work. “All I could see was my nightmare. That's always been my nightmare. The curve of the road, nothing behind it, and there I was. I started driving. I couldn't stop it. So, it was about to tip over.”

“…And that's how it was (in a flash)…” she said. “I didn't see anything on the road before. I know it was on a curve because I looked over the edge. And that's how fast it happened.”

Schaffer said the next thing she remembers is sitting on the ground in front of the bus.

“I mean, people came to me and asked, 'Are you OK?' And I said, 'I have a broken leg and maybe a collarbone. I can't get up. But check on the kids, check on the kids. I'm, you know, stable enough,'” she recalls.

The NTSB documents say the bus was traveling at 70.8 miles per hour in a 65-mile per hour zone in the seconds before the crash. It does not say whether speed played a role in the accident.

When the interviewer asked if she remembered supervisors talking to children about seat belt use, she said no, but added that it was common practice not to use seat belts on such trips. New York State law does not require the use of seat belts on charter buses, but a bill is pending in Albany that would change that.

Numerous documents published

This interview was part of a trove of documents related to an ongoing NTSB investigation into the Sept. 21, 2023, bus crash that killed two popular teachers, Gina Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, and injured dozens of students. The documents address, among other things, failure to wear seat belts and the failure of a bus tire that led to the crash, but do not assign blame.

The documents show that at least 41 of the 44 bus passengers – including the driver – were not wearing seat belts when the bus veered off the Orange County highway en route to the band's annual retreat at a camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania.

According to the NTSB's factual report, three bus passengers said they were wearing seat belts, but their seat belts showed only signs of normal wear and tear. The documents do not say whether missing restraints contributed to injuries and deaths.

The documents also confirm a preliminary assessment by state police, previously reported by Newsday, that the accident was caused by a defect in the bus's left steer tire. Sarah Sulick, a spokeswoman for the NTSB, said the documents released Wednesday were a “collection of facts” that would normally be released a year after a major investigation begins.

“This does not represent the final analysis of the NTSB's findings,” Sulick said, adding that a final report with conclusions and recommendations could be available up to two years after an incident.

About 30 lawsuits have been filed in connection with the accident, mostly by parents of injured children, seeking damages from defendants, including the bus company Regency Transportation, Schaffer, the school district and Bridgestone Americas, the bus's tire manufacturer. Most or all of these lawsuits appear to be ongoing.

The district declined to comment. An attorney for Regency and the bus driver declined to comment on the release of the NTSB document, citing pending litigation.

In court filings, the defendants' attorneys generally argued that the lawsuits should be dismissed.

A spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said last week that Regency's Nesconset-based operators “are in the process of transferring control of their fleet to a newly incorporated company called Tri State Coaches LLC. with the same address and same ownership.”

Seat belt use in focus of NTSB investigation

Seat belt use appeared to be a theme in investigators' interviews with Farmingdale students. In an interview with a trombonist on November 9, 2023, an interviewer asked, “Was there any kind of instruction from the driver or the school before the trip or any brochures that you recall?”

“There was an instruction about the exits,” the trombonist replied. “There was no instruction about the seat belts.” The student said he was buckled in for the entire ride but took it off to go to the bathroom.

Other students, also asked if they had been taught about seat belts or emergency exits, said they had not been taught about seat belts.

When the accident occurred, there was no state or federal law requiring the use of seat belts on charter buses. Experts told Newsday that few passengers statewide were using them. A New York state bill passed in June would require charter bus passengers ages 8 and older to use seat belts on coaches. A violation could impose a $50 fine on passengers who refuse. The bill has passed the House but has not yet been sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

According to the NTSB's vehicle report, “Just prior to loss of control, the left front tire experienced a tread separation that resulted in a rapid loss of air, also known as a 'burst.' Several small and large tread sections separated from the tire casing as the coach left the road.”

According to a report from Bridgestone Americas, “The tire in question had experienced a failure known as tread-belt separation. This typical failure can occur in all makes, models and sizes of truck/bus tires. In this case, the tread and belt separated from the tire while the vehicle in question was traveling at highway speeds. The tread-belt separation caused the tire casing to rupture, resulting in a rapid loss of pressure.”

The document goes on to say: “It is also not known what object caused the damage to the tire in question. Tire impact damage is usually caused by the vehicle hitting a road obstacle. This could be an object lying on the road (such as vehicle or cargo parts) or a road condition (such as a pothole or curb).”

In NTSB interviews, many of which were conducted days and weeks after the crash at Farmingdale High School, students described the crash scene as horrific and almost incomprehensible.

“It took me about 10 seconds to catch my breath and be able to breathe and speak properly,” said one student. “Many children around me were screaming.”

Another recalled thinking, “This couldn't possibly have happened. It must have been a dream.”

With Michael Gormley