80 FR 38751 - Plan for Generic Information Collection Activity; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 129 (July 7, 2015)

The NTSB is announcing it is submitting a plan for an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This ICR Plan describes a web-based report form an aircraft operator may use to report a serious incident as defined in NTSB regulations. Providing the option to permit operators to file reports electronically will increase efficiency and be more convenient for operators. This Notice informs the public that it may submit to the NTSB comments concerning the agency's proposed plan for information collection.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 7, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38751-38752]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16619]


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NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD


Plan for Generic Information Collection Activity; Submission for 
OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The NTSB is announcing it is submitting a plan for an 
Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for approval, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act. This ICR Plan describes a web-based report form an aircraft 
operator may use to report a serious incident as defined in NTSB 
regulations. Providing the option to permit operators to file reports 
electronically will increase efficiency and be more convenient for 
operators. This Notice informs the public that it may submit to the 
NTSB comments concerning the agency's proposed plan for information 
collection.

DATES: Submit written comments regarding this proposed plan for the 
collection of information by September 8, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Respondents may submit written comments on the collection of 
information to the National Transportation Safety Board Office of 
Aviation Safety, 490 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20594.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh Lindberg, NTSB Office of Aviation 
Safety, at (202) 314-6667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with OMB regulations that 
require this Notice for proposed ICRs, the NTSB herein notifies the 
public that it may submit comments on this proposed ICR Plan to the 
NTSB. 5 CFR 1320.10(a). Section 1320.10(a) requires this ``notice 
directing requests for information, including copies of the proposed 
collection of information and supporting documentation, to the 
[NTSB].'' Pursuant to Sec.  1320.10(a), the NTSB will provide a copy of 
this notice to OMB. This request for approval is not associated with a 
rulemaking activity.

A. Paperwork Reduction Act Requirement

    In accordance with OMB regulations that require this Notice for 
proposed ICRs, the NTSB herein notifies the public that it may submit 
comments on this proposed information collection. Title 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1) requires an agency, prior to submitting a collection of 
information to OMB for approval, to ``provide 60-day notice in the 
Federal Register, and otherwise consult with members of the public and 
affected agencies concerning . . . [the] proposed collection of 
information.'' Section 1320.8(d)(1) also requires the NTSB to solicit 
comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) 
Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the NTSB to perform 
its mission; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for the 
NTSB to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected 
information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized without 
reducing the quality of the collected information. The NTSB will 
summarize and/or include the public's comments in its subsequent 
request for OMB's clearance of this information collection pursuant to 
5 CFR 1320.10(a).

B. Description of Web-Based Report Form

    The NTSB's proposed use of a web-based reporting form to collect 
information concerning reportable aviation incidents is distinct from 
its Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form (NTSB Form 
6120.1), which the NTSB uses in determining the facts, conditions, and 
circumstances for aircraft accident prevention activities and for 
statistical purposes.\1\ The proposed electronic form to report serious 
incidents, as listed at 49 CFR 830.5, will be a concise electronic form 
available for completion on the NTSB Web site. The NTSB will obtain 
information on the form to determine whether to commence an 
investigation into the facts of the incident.
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    \1\ See Information Collection Review Reference Number 201311-
3147-001; OMB Control Number 3147-0001.
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    The form will ask, ``[w]hich of the following incidents did you 
experience?'' and include a listing of the serious incidents operators 
are required to report under 49 CFR 830.5. Respondents can check the 
box next to the appropriate incident and then proceed to the next 
question. The form will then ask whether serious injuries or 
substantial damage occurred, as well as whether the incident involved 
an unmanned aircraft. The form will include web hyperlinks to the 
definitions of ``serious injury'' and ``substantial damage,'' as 
defined at 49

[[Page 38752]]

CFR 830.2. If a respondent answers ``yes'' to any of those questions, 
the information collection will conclude by displaying an instruction 
for the respondent to contact the NTSB Response Operations Center at 
844-373-9922. The next set of questions on the form will seek the 
following information: Name of operator; date and time of event (UTC); 
flight origin and intended destination; aircraft registration number 
and type; approximate location of the incident; number of pilots, crew, 
and passengers; and a description of the nature of the incident. At the 
conclusion of the form, the form will seek the respondent's name, email 
address, and phone number.

C. Use of Information on the Web-Based Incident Report Form

    The NTSB will use the information provided on the electronic report 
form for serious incidents to determine whether to commence an 
investigation into the incident. Everyone involved in an NTSB 
investigation, including the parties to the investigation (as defined 
at 49 CFR 831.11), depend on accurate information the NTSB collects 
while conducting the investigation and determining which areas warrant 
focus and attention. In this regard, if the NTSB determines it will 
commence an investigation into the incident the operator has reported 
via the electronic form, the NTSB will consider the form to be critical 
to its statutory function to investigate accidents and incidents. In 
addition, the accuracy of the information the NTSB collects on the form 
will be used in issuing safety recommendations following the incident, 
in an effort to prevent future accidents and incidents.
    The NTSB has carefully considered whether this collection of 
information on the draft electronic form is duplicative of any other 
agency's collections of information. The NTSB is unaware of any form 
the FAA disseminates that solicits the same information the electronic 
form will require. However, the NTSB notes some operators may choose to 
provide a voluntary report to the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) in accordance with the Aviation Safety Reporting 
Program (ASRP).\2\
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    \2\ Under the ASRP, the Administrator may waive the imposition 
of a sanction, despite the finding of a regulatory violation, as 
long as certain requirements are satisfied. Aviation Safety 
Reporting Program, Advisory Circular 00-46E (Dec. 16, 2011). To take 
advantage of the program, one must voluntarily file a report with 
NASA.
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    The NTSB notes informing the NTSB of a serious incident listed at 
49 CFR 830.5 is not voluntary, but is required by 49 CFR 830.5 and 
830.10. The NTSB, in general, will not accept partially completed 
forms; NTSB investigators will exercise their discretion in requesting 
completion of an electronic incident reporting form a respondent 
submits that is partially completed.
    Currently, the NTSB accepts phone calls transmitting the 
information described above. The NTSB seeks to improve the efficiency 
of the receipt of the necessary information by offering respondents the 
option of submitting the information online.
    The NTSB has carefully reviewed the form to ensure it has used 
plain, coherent, and unambiguous terminology in its request for 
information. While some incidents listed in the form contain terms 
specific to the aviation industry, the NTSB believes respondents 
completing the form will be knowledgeable about the terminology the 
NTSB uses in the form, and the NTSB has remained mindful of its choices 
of terms in the development of the draft web-based form. The NTSB 
estimates respondents will spend approximately 10 minutes in completing 
the form. The NTSB estimates approximately 280 respondents per year 
will complete the form, but notes this number may vary, given the 
unpredictable nature of the frequency of aviation incidents.

D. Request for Comments

    In accordance with 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the NTSB seeks feedback 
from the public concerning this proposed plan for information 
collection. In particular, the NTSB asks the public to evaluate whether 
the proposed collection of information is necessary; to assess the 
accuracy of the NTSB's burden estimate; to comment on how to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and to comment on how the NTSB might minimize the burden of the 
collection of information.
    The NTSB will carefully consider all feedback it receives in 
response to this notice. As described above, obtaining the information 
the NTSB seeks on these electronic incident report forms in a timely 
manner is important to the NTSB's mission in investigating incidents 
and thereby improving aviation safety. Therefore, obtaining approval 
from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for this 
electronic collection of information is a priority for the NTSB.

Christopher A. Hart,
Chairman.
[FR Doc. 2015-16619 Filed 7-6-15; 8:45 am]
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