Lack Of Understanding Of Data Sources And NTSB Process

ABC News presented a chart illustrating how aviation safety reports submitted to the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) are routed among NASA, FAA, and the aviation community. ABC then criticizes the FAA regarding its apparent lack of response to 15 reports specifically about air traffic in and around Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C.

ABC News points out how ASRS reports and insights are shared with the FAA and its air traffic control operation at DCA but shows no response from FAA to NASA. What ABC News doesn’t know or understand is that FAA is not required to respond to NASA but rather, is obligated to show a response to the NTSB who investigates such incidents and accidents.

This explanation was offered by Sandy Murdock who, as former Chief Counsel for the FAA and FAA Deputy Administrator, should have direct and intimate knowledge of the process surrounding aviation accidents, investigations, and the responses to action items provided by the FAA and the aviation community.

ABC News asked the FAA to comment on the ASRS reports concerning DCA.

The FAA said, “Due to the ongoing NTSB investigation, we cannot provide information at this time,” adding that ASRS reports are “one of many data sources we use to identify system-level safety risks.”

Rather than appearing to evade the question, it’s important to note that the rules governing NTSB investigations prohibit a party, including the FAA, from discussing information that is involved in the process of trying to determine probable cause.

The FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO), the operational arm within the agency, uses a self-imposed Safety Management System (SMS) to provide an intensive, proactive, and systematic focus on assuring safety in helping the FAA build out the Next Generation Air Transportation System.

Indeed, the SMS constitutes the operating principles supporting the ATO in objectively examining the safety of its operations.

ABC News also characterized ASRS reports as “notifying authorities” when in reality they carry no such weight, according to Murdock, who notes correctly that such reports are strictly voluntary and anonymous, and they are not corroborated in any way by the NASA, the FAA, or NTSB. As such, those reports cannot be used to infer any prevalence of any issue within the National Airspace System.

FMI:  www.faa.gov/