NASA’s ASRS Protects Mechanics, Too

Since 1976 the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), a voluntary program that encourages reports from aviation personnel including mechanics, has received hundreds of thousands of submissions. The ASRS receives the reports, processes and analyzes them, and in particular addresses human factors aspects of performance in the aviation system.

Neither a civil penalty nor certificate suspension will be imposed if the violation was inadvertent and not deliberate.

NASA is the administrative agency that oversees the program. The information from these reports, which are voluntary, confidential, and non-punitive, is gathered with the goal of enhancing human factors research and making recommendations for future aviation procedures and operations.

The system, explained in FAA Advisory Circular AC 00-46D, is used to encourage the prevention of future incidents by fostering a constructive attitude of reporting. The AC states that, "although a finding of violation may be made, neither a civil penalty nor certificate suspension will be imposed if the violation was inadvertent and not deliberate." Section 91.25 of the FAA regulations prohibits the use of any reports submitted to NASA under the ASRS in any disciplinary action, except information concerning criminal offenses or accidents. The report must be filed within 10 days of the occurrence.

More than 3,300 reports are received each month. The form contains a tear-off strip with identifying information at the top. This gives the research staff an opportunity to call the submitter of the report and ask clarifying questions, although this is not always necessary. Once that is accomplished, the strip is removed, de-identifying the report. It is time-stamped and returned to the submitter and serves as proof that a report was filed. All identification information of the filer of the ASRS report and persons named in those reports will be deleted.

If a described situation is earmarked as hazardous, for example, an aircraft system anomaly or a confusing procedure, an alerting message may be issued using the de-identified information. This relays the critical information to a person of authority who can evaluate the allegations and take corrective actions. In NASA issued 75 alert messages in 2006. Direct access to the ASRS database is available online at asrs.arc.nasa.gov/search.htm. A brief glance at the available information is fascinating and includes reports about shorting in an armrest console, problematic pressure controllers, overpressure relief valve flappers with masking tape blocking all four vent holes, and an autopilot aileron servo replacement that resulted in this statement: "To my horror the aileron servo [was] moving the control wheel on aircraft X backwards to the heading bug commands." Much can be learned from these real life accounts.

Copies of reporting forms may be obtained free of charge from FAA Flight Standards District Offices or Flight Service Stations or directly from NASA, ASRS, P.O. Box 189, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0189. The form can also be downloaded from the Internet at asrs.arc.nasa.gov.

There are several customized versions, including one for mechanics. ASRS has developed a new feature enabling secure submission of an aviation safety report via the Internet. NASA says it realizes that trust is essential and has worked to ensure reports are handled securely. You can find tips on securing your computer prior to report submission on the Web site. The NASA ASRS team also suggests that you do not save the completed report to the computer you are using.

Regardless of the method of submission, the identification strip at the top of your report will be printed, date stamped and returned to you by the U.S. Mail as proof of your submission. Incident reports or any incident information should not be e-mailed or faxed to the ASRS.

The ASRS publishes a monthly safety bulletin, "Callback," that can be downloaded from the Internet as well at asrs.arc.nasa.gov/publications/callback.html. The bulletin contains excerpts from ASRS incident reports. In the past, mechanics have not utilized this forum to the extent that pilots and others have. A program briefing showed less than 5 percent of the reports from 1998 to 2001 were from maintenance personnel. Download and print the forms. Have them available for your maintenance staff, and use them.