The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation into a fatal crash this month involving a Tesla Inc. sedan in Texas, expanding scrutiny of an incident that has drawn national attention.

The NTSB, a federal agency tasked with probing civil transportation accidents, said Wednesday that it’s working with the Harris County sheriff’s office to look into the June 19 collision. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told Bloomberg earlier Wednesday that the agency was considering an investigation.

A Tesla Model 3 crashed at high speed into a brick home near Houston on Friday evening, killing a woman inside. The driver told authorities he was using an automated driver-assistance system at the time of the incident, according to a statement by the sheriff’s office.

The high-profile crash, which was caught on a front-door video camera, puts an unflattering spotlight on Tesla’s driver-assistance technology, which Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk sees as crucial to the company’s future prospects. The automated systems, known as Full Self-Driving and Autopilot, have drawn numerous lawsuits and regulatory investigations into whether they perform as expected.

Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the NTSB probe. The company’s head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said this week in a post on X that the driver-assistance system wasn’t engaged at the time of the crash.

The move by the NTSB comes days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a special crash investigation. The family of the 76-year-old woman who died in the incident also filed a lawsuit against Tesla, claiming in part that the automation technology failed to detect the end of the roadway and stop before the collision.

A preliminary report from the NTSB will be available within 30 days on the agency’s website, a spokesperson told Bloomberg in response to emailed questions. A final report detailing the probable cause of the crash, along with any contributing factors and recommendations, will be available within 12 to 24 months.

“The safety issues to be examined include driver engagement while using automated driving systems, driver performance and automated driving system performance,” the NTSB said in the emailed statement. “Automated vehicle technology has been a focus of previous NTSB investigations and an important issue for improving road safety.”

Tesla shares closed down 1.6% in New York.

(With assistance from Kara Carlson.)

©2026 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.