NTSB confirms Tesla driver overrode Full Self Driving by pressing accelerator to 100% in fatal crash

NTSB Confirms Driver Override in Fatal Tesla Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary findings on Wednesday confirming that a Tesla crash in Katy, Texas occurred after the driver manually overrode FSD by pressing the accelerator pedal to 100 percent 1

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. The investigation verified claims made by Tesla's vice president of AI software, Ashok Elluswamy, who stated that internal data showed "the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100 percent of the accel pedal in this residential area" 1

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. Electronic data recovered from the 2025 Model 3 revealed the vehicle exceeded 70 mph speeds on a residential two-lane road with a 30 mph speed limit when it jumped the curb and crashed into a home 3

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Fatal Texas Crash Claims Life of 76-Year-Old Woman

Martha Avila, 76, died from her injuries after Michael Butler's Tesla plowed through the front wall of her home on June 19 4

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. Security camera footage showed the car's path as it continued straight through the intersection, departed the roadway, and struck the residence 1

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. The NTSB report notes that weather was clear, the roadway was dry, and daylight conditions were present at the time of the crash 2

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. In the six seconds before impact, the Tesla continued straight instead of turning left as the route would have required, with the pedal pressed all the way down 1

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Driver Charged with Manslaughter After Claiming He Passed Out

The 44-year-old driver, Michael Butler, has been charged with manslaughter and jailed with bond set at $150,000 1

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. Butler told hospital providers after the crash that he remembered "putting the car in self driving mode" and that he "passed out," according to an arrest affidavit 2

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. Texas police searched Butler's phone with his permission and discovered he was working as a DoorDash driver when the crash occurred 1

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. Phone data showed Butler had no issues with the Tesla making multiple prior delivery stops before the fatal incident 1

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Google Searches Reveal Frustration: "Tesla FSD Not Aggressive Enough"

Investigators found revealing Google searches on Butler's phone, including queries like "Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026," "Tesla not aggressive enough," and "Tesla FSD too timid" 1

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. These searches raise serious questions about how Butler was using the system before the collision and suggest he may have wanted more aggressive behavior from the advanced driver assistance systems 4

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. The findings illustrate a recurring problem with Full Self Driving Supervised: the system allows driver override at any time by pressing the accelerator, but Tesla's marketing has historically blurred the line between driver assistance and full autonomy 4

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Broader Scrutiny of Tesla's Driver Assistance Technology Continues

While the NTSB finding clears Tesla's FSD software in this particular crash, it does not resolve broader scrutiny facing the company's technology 4

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. NHTSA has opened nearly 50 special crash investigations into Tesla crashes believed to involve advanced driver assistance systems since 2016, with about two dozen deaths reported 3

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. In March, NHTSA escalated its probe into 3.2 million Teslas equipped with FSD, concerned the system may fail to detect or warn drivers in poor visibility 3

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. The agency also opened an investigation last year into 58 incidents where Teslas reportedly violated traffic laws while using self-driving technology, leading to more than a dozen crashes and nearly two dozen injuries 4

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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Alleges Negligence and Potential Vehicle Defects

Avila's surviving family has filed a lawsuit alleging that both Butler and Tesla were negligent and may be to blame for the crash 1

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. Although police initially found no evidence of mechanical malfunction, the family has alleged that Butler's car may have been defective 1

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. The lawsuit points to a Tesla defect known as "Sudden Unintended Acceleration" that can occur when components require additional power and the battery draw causes significant spikes in the system, potentially causing the inverter to incorrectly interpret that the accelerator pedal has been pressed 1

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. Tesla faces a certified class-action lawsuit in the US over FSD advertising and statements made between October 2016 and August 2024 4

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. The NTSB confirmed that all aspects of the crash remain under investigation while determining probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar crashes 1

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