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<\/p>\nNational Transportation Safety Board\u00a0investigators said in a preliminary report Monday that the owner of a Tesla\u00a0was\u00a0in the driver\u2019s seat shortly before the car hit a tree in Texas and burst into flames last month, killing both occupants.<\/p>\n
Footage from a \u201chome security camera shows the owner entering the car\u2019s driver\u2019s seat and the passenger entering the front passenger seat,\u201d the NTSB report noted. The Tesla Model S traveled only 550 feet \u2014 about two blocks \u2014 before crashing into the tree on April 17 in suburban Houston, the report added.<\/p>\n
The car was equipped with Tesla\u2019s optional Autopilot automated steering feature, but data that would reveal whether the system was engaged was damaged by the fire, according to the NTSB. Officials emphasized that the NTSB report is preliminary and subject to change as the probe continues.<\/p>\n
Harris County is continuing its\u00a0separate investigation into the crash.\u00a0A Harris County constable said earlier that\u00a0no one was in the driver\u2019s seat when firefighters arrived to douse the flaming wreckage, raising fresh questions about Tesla\u2019s Autopilot system.<\/p>\n
The owner of the 2019 Tesla Model S and a friend were overheard by their wives talking about trying out the Autopilot as they left the owner\u2019s home for a drive.<\/p>\n
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has insisted that the car could not have been driverless\u00a0 because the Autopilot had not been engaged.\u00a0Musk said the system couldn\u2019t have been on because the car was traveling on a road that\u00a0lacked marked lane lines, which Autopilot requires to work.<\/p>\n
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun 27 investigations \u2014 with 23 ongoing \u2014\u00a0into crashes that may have involved Tesla\u2019s Autopilot feature.\u00a0Musk has largely downplayed concerns\u00a0about Autopilot, and has insisted it makes the cars safer by helping drivers.<\/p>\n
Although Tesla warns drivers not to take their hands off the steering wheel when the car is operating on Autopilot, drivers have been known to\u00a0fall asleep at the wheel, read or text, or stop paying attention to the road when using the feature.<\/p>\n
\u201cAutopilot is intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time,\u201d the Tesla website states. The \u201ccurrently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A video featured on Tesla\u2019s site shows a cruising car with the driver\u2019s hands in his lap. A message notes that the \u201cperson in the driver\u2019s seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tesla could not immediately be reached for comment on the NTSB report. The company eliminated its public relations department last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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