Bus operators with a 25% or higher out-of-service rate, or vehicles that fail inspection, are rated “unacceptable,” according to the transportation agency. Regency Transportation Ltd.’s rate was 33% in the state’s 2023 fiscal year, department records show.

‘They were crying … asking for their parents’: Trooper describes horror after bus falls down a ravine, killing 2 and injuring at least 18

Operators listed under the “unacceptable” category are required to undergo at least two comprehensive safety inspections every year. They also may face a number of “corrective actions,” including violation notices leading to civil penalties and the suspension or revocation of interstate operating authority, according to New York’s transportation department.

Other buses operated by the company failed seven safety inspections over the past two years, Morrissey confirmed to CNN. Most of the problems investigators identified were related to braking systems, and those buses were immediately taken out of service “until rectified by the operator and verified by our inspectors,” Morrissey told CNN. Investigators also identified recordkeeping and rear axle issues on a few of them, he added.

Regency Transportation Ltd. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Preliminary information suggests a faulty front tire may have contributed to the crash, authorities said Thursday evening.

But the investigation continues, and a team from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived Friday to probe what led up to the tragedy.

The agency, as of Friday, hadn’t yet spoken with the driver of the bus but was planning to as soon as possible, depending on her injuries, NTSB Investigator in Charge John Humm said during a Friday news conference. Humm said he didn’t know the status of her condition.