NTSB says Tesla driver overrode FSD before fatal Texas crash
Investigators said a Model 3 was traveling above 70 mph when it hit a Katy home, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
The driver of a Tesla Model 3 that crashed into a Katy, Texas, home and killed a woman had overridden the car’s Full Self-Driving system, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report Wednesday. The finding matters because investigators said vehicle data showed the accelerator was pressed to 100 percent and the car was moving faster than 70 mph during the crash.
The June crash killed Martha Avila, 76, who was inside the home when the vehicle hit it, according to the NTSB. The agency identified the driver as Michael Butler, 44.
The home sits along a two-lane road with a posted 30 mph speed limit, the NTSB said. Investigators said they examined the Tesla’s electronic records as part of their preliminary review.
What investigators found
According to the NTSB, Butler “manually overrode” the Full Self-Driving system by fully pressing the accelerator. The agency said the car reached speeds above 70 mph before or during the impact.
The NTSB’s preliminary report does not represent the agency’s final conclusions. Preliminary reports typically summarize early factual findings while investigators continue their work.
The agency’s account adds a key detail to a fatal crash involving Tesla’s driver-assistance software. Tesla markets Full Self-Driving as a vehicle technology, but the NTSB’s preliminary finding says the driver’s accelerator input superseded the system in this incident.
The NTSB posted the preliminary report on its website Wednesday. The agency did not, in the available summary, assign final responsibility for the crash or describe any completed safety recommendations tied to the case.
Investigators’ focus on the car’s electronic data shows how crash probes involving newer vehicles can turn on records stored by the vehicle itself. In this case, the NTSB said those records showed both the accelerator position and the speed of the Model 3.
The crash remains under NTSB investigation, according to the agency’s preliminary report.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.