Aviation Safety Reporting System
The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is an important facet of the continuing effort by government, industry, and individuals to maintain and improve aviation safety. The ASRS, which is administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), collects voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident/situation reports from pilots, controllers, and others.
The ASRS acts on the information these reports contain. It identifies system deficiencies and issues alerting messages to persons in a position to correct them. The database is a public repository which serves the needs of FAA and NASA and those of other organizations worldwide engaged in research and the promotion of safe flight.
Purpose
The ASRS collects, analyzes, and responds to voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident reports in order to lessen the likelihood of aviation accidents.
ASRS data is used to:
- Identify deficiencies and discrepancies in the National Airspace (NAS) so that these can be remedied by appropriate authorities.
- Support policy formulation and planning for, and improvements to, the NAS.
- Strengthen the foundation of aviation human factors safety research. This is particularly important since it is generally conceded that over two-thirds of all aviation accidents and incidents are caused by human performance errors.
Confidentiality
Pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, mechanics, ground personnel, and others involved in aviation operations submit reports to the ASRS when they are involved in, or observe, an incident or situation in which aviation safety was compromised. All submissions are voluntary.
Reports sent to the ASRS are held in strict confidence. ASRS de-identifies reports before entering them into the incident database. All personal and organizational names are removed. Dates, times, and related information that can be used to infer an identity are either generalized or eliminated.
Filing an Incident Report
An ASRS Incident Report is often referred to as a “NASA Strip.” When submitting an ASRS Incident Report, or NASA Strip, the submitter completes the form and sends it to the address indicated, and NASA returns the identification strip to the submitter as confirmation of receipt of the form.
You can obtain more information, a copy of the incident report form, or file the form electronically on the NASA website at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov. Figure 1-5 at the end of this chapter is a sample ASRS Incident Report.
Figure 1-5. ASRS Incident Report. You can obtain an ASRS Incident Report and/or file the form online at the NASA website at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/.
Safety
The FAA has a number of aviation safety resources available on its website at www.faa.gov. You can access safety information by selecting “Safety” from the main menu bar.
Safety Hotline
You can call the FAA 24-Hour Safety Hotline at (800) 255-1111 or email the FAA Safety Hotline at [email protected] to report:
- Maintenance improprieties
- Aircraft incidents
- Suspected unapproved parts
- Violations of 14 CFR
You can provide your contact information or file an anonymous report with the FAA Safety Hotline.
Safety Information
You can also find additional information and aviation data and statistics on the FAA website at www.faa.gov including:
- Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)
- Aircraft Safety Alerts
- Safety Program Airmen Notification System
- Information for operators
- Safety alerts for operators
- CertAlerts for certificated airports
- Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Safety Bulletin
- Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS)
- Accident and incident data
- Aviation accident reports and statistics
- Runway incursion data and statistics
- Weather
Reporting Stolen Aircraft/Equipment
As an aircraft owner, you should be prepared to handle the theft of your aircraft or aircraft equipment. In order to manage the reporting process effectively, you should keep separate records (in a location away from the aircraft) of serial numbers for powerplants, avionics, and other installed items. Report these serial numbers at the same time the aircraft is stolen.
Law Enforcement
You should immediately report a stolen aircraft to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction at the site of the theft. Ask the agency to report the theft to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Crime Information Center, as this will initiate notifications to the appropriate government offices.
Insurance Company
After filing the appropriate reports with your local law enforcement agency, notify your insurance company or agent of the stolen aircraft, as appropriate.
Aviation Crime Prevention Institute
You should also notify the Aviation Crime Prevention Institute (ACPI) of the stolen aircraft. After you give ACPI all available information, ACPI will send notices of the theft to industry contacts, embassies, and other agencies, if applicable. You can contact the ACPI at:
Aviation Crime Prevention Institute
226 N. Nova Road
Ormond Beach, FL 32174 USA
(800) 969-5473 toll-free
(386) 341-7270 outside U.S.
(386) 615-3378 fax
http://www.acpi.org
Aircraft Registration Branch
If enough time has passed that the return of the aircraft is no longer expected, the owner should write to AFS-750 requesting that the registration for this aircraft be canceled. The request should fully describe the aircraft, indicate the reason for cancellation, be signed in ink by the owner, and show a title for the signer, if appropriate.
