On Jan. 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 plunged 18,000 feet into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 88 people on board. This was also Sharon Bryson’s first day as head of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) program that assists survivors and family members of those killed in transportation disasters.

Bryson quickly grabbed her “go-bag” and headed to the West Coast to support the distraught families of the victims, a crucial but heart-wrenching task that she has undertaken more than 140 times. Keep reading →