81 FR 72620 - Plan for Information Collection Activity: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 203 (October 20, 2016)

Page Range		72620-72621
FR Document		2016-25412

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 ICR Plan is the second of two required notices, pursuant to OMB regulations concerning approvals of information collections. This notice again describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and advises the public it may submit comments on this proposed information collection to the OIRA desk officer for the NTSB.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 203 (Thursday, October 20, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 203 (Thursday, October 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72620-72621]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25412]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD


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

AGENCY: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 ICR Plan is the second of two required notices, 
pursuant to OMB regulations concerning approvals of information 
collections. This notice again describes the nature of the information 
collection and its expected burden and advises the public it may submit 
comments on this proposed information collection to the OIRA desk 
officer for the NTSB.

DATES: Submit written comments regarding this proposed plan for the 
collection of information by November 21, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Interested members of the public may submit written comments 
on the collection of information to the OMB Desk Officer for the NTSB 
at Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 
20503, or via fax: 202-395-5806, (this is not a toll-free number), or 
email: [email protected]. Commenters are encouraged, but not 
required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments 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 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Desk Officer for 
the NTSB. 5 CFR 1320.10(a). This request for approval is not associated 
with a rulemaking activity.
    This notice follows the first of the two required notices 
requesting comment, which appeared in the Federal Register on July 7, 
2015. 80 FR 38751. Comments in response to the first notice were due by 
September 7, 2015. The NTSB did not receive any comments.

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 
1320.10(a) requires this notice to ``direct comments to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
[the NTSB]. A copy of the notice submitted to the Federal Register, 
together with the date of expected publication, shall

[[Page 72621]]

be included in the agency's submission to OMB.''
    As stated in the NTSB's first of the two required notices under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, the objective of these requests for comment is 
to receive input from the public concerning: (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. 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1). Following publication of 
this notice, the NTSB will submit to OIRA its evaluation of the above-
mentioned considerations, in accordance with Sec.  1320.8.

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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Information Collection Review Reference Number 201311-
3147-001; OMB Control Number 3147-0001.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 
link to the appropriate incident and fill out the information required 
to be reported for that incident. The form also asks whether serious 
injuries or substantial damage occurred, as well as whether the 
incident involved an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The form will 
include web hyperlinks to the definitions of ``serious injury'' and 
``substantial damage,'' as defined at 49 CFR 830.2, and a link to 
guidance on reporting UAS accidents and incidents. 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 aviation 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 aviation 
accidents and incidents.
    The NTSB has 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 Federal 
Aviation Administration 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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Under the ASRP, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 reviewed the form carefully 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 50 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 again requests 
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 work with OIRA to 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 OIRA for this electronic collection of information is a 
priority for the NTSB.

Christopher A. Hart,
Chairman.
[FR Doc. 2016-25412 Filed 10-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7533-01-P

72620 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 203 / Thursday, October 20, 2016 / Notices

Agency and its customers and generalizations will be made, the electronically will increase efficiency
stakeholders. It will also allow feedback sampling frame, the sample design and be more convenient for operators.
to contribute directly to the (including stratification and clustering), This ICR Plan is the second of two
improvement of program management. the precision requirements or power required notices, pursuant to OMB
The solicitation of feedback will target calculations that justify the proposed regulations concerning approvals of
areas such as: Timeliness, sample size, the expected response rate, information collections. This notice
appropriateness, accuracy of methods for assessing potential again describes the nature of the
information, courtesy, efficiency of nonresponse bias, the protocols for data information collection and its expected
service delivery, and resolution of collection, and any testing procedures burden and advises the public it may
issues with service delivery. Responses that were or will be undertaken prior to submit comments on this proposed
will be assessed to plan and inform fielding this study. Depending on the information collection to the OIRA desk
efforts to improve or maintain the degree of influence the results are likely officer for the NTSB.
quality of service offered to the public. to have, such collections may still be DATES: Submit written comments
If this information is not collected, vital eligible for submission for other generic regarding this proposed plan for the
feedback from customers and mechanisms that are designed to yield collection of information by November
stakeholders on the Agency’s services quantitative results. 21, 2016.
will be unavailable. As a general matter, this information
NSF will only submit a collection for ADDRESSES: Interested members of the
collection will not result in any new
approval under this generic clearance if system of records containing privacy public may submit written comments on
it meets the following conditions: information and will not ask questions the collection of information to the
Æ The collection is voluntary; of a sensitive nature, such as sexual OMB Desk Officer for the NTSB at
Æ The collection is low-burden for behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, Office of Management and Budget, 725
respondents (based on considerations of and other matters that are commonly 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503,
total burden hours, total number of considered private. or via fax: 202–395–5806, (this is not a
respondents, or burden-hours per Below we provide the National toll-free number), or email: OIRA-
respondent) and is low-cost for both the Science Foundation’s projected average submission@omb.eop.gov. Commenters
respondents and the Federal estimates for the next three years: are encouraged, but not required, to
Government; Affected Public: Individuals and send a courtesy copy of any comments
Æ The collection is non-controversial Households, Businesses and to the National Transportation Safety
and does not raise issues of concern to Organizations, State, Local or Tribal Board, Office of Aviation Safety, 490
other Federal agencies; Government. L’Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC
Æ The collection is targeted to the Average Expected Annual Number of 20594.
solicitation of opinions from activities: 25. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
respondents who have experience with Respondents: 500 per activity. Josh Lindberg, NTSB Office of Aviation
the program or may have experience Annual responses: 7,500. Safety, at (202) 314–6667.
with the program in the near future; Frequency of Response: Once per
Æ Personally identifiable information request SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
(PII) is collected only to the extent Average minutes per response: 30. accordance with OMB regulations that
necessary and is not retained; Burden hours: 6,250. require this Notice for proposed ICRs,
Æ Information gathered is intended to the NTSB herein notifies the public that
Dated: October 17, 2016.
be used only internally for general it may submit comments on this
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
service improvement and program proposed ICR Plan to the Office of
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Information and Regulatory Affairs
management purposes and is not Foundation.
intended for release outside of NSF (if (OIRA) Desk Officer for the NTSB. 5
[FR Doc. 2016–25403 Filed 10–19–16; 8:45 am] CFR 1320.10(a). This request for
released, NSF must indicate the
qualitative nature of the information); BILLING CODE 7555–01–P approval is not associated with a
Æ Information gathered will not be rulemaking activity.
used for the purpose of substantially This notice follows the first of the two
informing influential policy decisions; NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION required notices requesting comment,
and SAFETY BOARD which appeared in the Federal Register
Æ Information gathered will yield on July 7, 2015. 80 FR 38751. Comments
qualitative information; the collection Plan for Information Collection in response to the first notice were due
will not be designed or expected to Activity: Submission for OMB Review; by September 7, 2015. The NTSB did
yield statistically reliable results or used Comment Request not receive any comments.
as though the results are generalizable to AGENCY: National Transportation Safety A. Paperwork Reduction Act
the population of study. Board (NTSB).
Feedback collected under this generic Requirement
ACTION: Notice.
clearance provides useful information, In accordance with OMB regulations
but it does not yield data that can be SUMMARY: The NTSB is announcing it is that require this Notice for proposed
generalized to the overall population. submitting a plan for an Information ICRs, the NTSB herein notifies the
This type of generic clearance for Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of public that it may submit comments on
qualitative information will not be used Management and Budget (OMB) for this proposed information collection.
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES

for quantitative information collections approval, in accordance with the Title 5 CFR 1320.10(a) requires this
that are designed to yield reliably Paperwork Reduction Act. This ICR notice to ‘‘direct comments to the Office
actionable results, such as monitoring Plan describes a web-based report form of Information and Regulatory Affairs of
trends over time or documenting an aircraft operator may use to report a OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for [the
program performance. Such data uses serious incident as defined in NTSB NTSB]. A copy of the notice submitted
require more rigorous designs that regulations. Providing the option to to the Federal Register, together with
address: The target population to which permit operators to file reports the date of expected publication, shall

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:40 Oct 19, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\20OCN1.SGM 20OCN1

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 203 / Thursday, October 20, 2016 / Notices 72621

be included in the agency’s submission respondent to contact the NTSB in general, will not accept partially
to OMB.’’ Response Operations Center at 844– completed forms; NTSB investigators
As stated in the NTSB’s first of the 373–9922. The next set of questions on will exercise their discretion in
two required notices under the the form will seek the following requesting completion of an electronic
Paperwork Reduction Act, the objective information: Name of operator; date and incident reporting form a respondent
of these requests for comment is to time of event (UTC); flight origin and submits that is partially completed.
receive input from the public intended destination; aircraft Currently, the NTSB accepts phone
concerning: (1) Whether the proposed registration number and type; calls transmitting the information
collection is necessary for the NTSB to approximate location of the incident; described above. The NTSB seeks to
perform its mission; (2) the accuracy of number of pilots, crew, and passengers; improve the efficiency of the receipt of
the estimated burden; (3) ways for the and a description of the nature of the the necessary information by offering
NTSB to enhance the quality, incident. At the conclusion of the form, respondents the option of submitting
usefulness, and clarity of the collected the form will seek the respondent’s the information online.
information; and (4) ways that the name, email address, and phone
burden could be minimized without number. The NTSB has reviewed the form
reducing the quality of the collected carefully to ensure it has used plain,
information. 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1). C. Use of Information on the Web-Based coherent, and unambiguous terminology
Following publication of this notice, the Incident Report Form in its request for information. While
NTSB will submit to OIRA its The NTSB will use the information some incidents listed in the form
evaluation of the above-mentioned provided on the electronic report form contain terms specific to the aviation
considerations, in accordance with for serious incidents to determine industry, the NTSB believes
§ 1320.8. whether to commence an investigation respondents completing the form will be
into the incident. Everyone involved in knowledgeable about the terminology
B. Description of Web-Based Report an NTSB investigation, including the the NTSB uses in the form, and the
Form parties to the investigation (as defined at NTSB has remained mindful of its
The NTSB’s proposed use of a web- 49 CFR 831.11), depend on accurate choices of terms in the development of
based reporting form to collect information the NTSB collects while the draft web-based form. The NTSB
information concerning reportable conducting the investigation and estimates respondents will spend
aviation incidents is distinct from its determining which areas warrant focus approximately 10 minutes in
Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/ and attention. In this regard, if the completing the form. The NTSB
Incident Report Form (NTSB Form NTSB determines it will commence an estimates approximately 50 respondents
6120.1), which the NTSB uses in investigation into the incident the per year will complete the form, but
determining the facts, conditions, and operator has reported via the electronic notes this number may vary, given the
circumstances for aircraft accident form, the NTSB will consider the form unpredictable nature of the frequency of
prevention activities and for statistical to be critical to its statutory function to aviation incidents.
purposes.1 The proposed electronic investigate aviation accidents and D. Request for Comments
form to report serious incidents, as incidents. In addition, the accuracy of
listed at 49 CFR 830.5, will be a concise the information the NTSB collects on In accordance with 44 U.S.C.
electronic form available for completion the form will be used in issuing safety 3506(c)(2)(A), the NTSB again requests
on the NTSB Web site. The NTSB will recommendations following the feedback from the public concerning
obtain information on the form to incident, in an effort to prevent future this proposed plan for information
determine whether to commence an aviation accidents and incidents. collection. In particular, the NTSB asks
investigation into the facts of the The NTSB has considered whether the public to evaluate whether the
incident. this collection of information on the proposed collection of information is
The form will ask, ‘‘[w]hich of the draft electronic form is duplicative of necessary; to assess the accuracy of the
following incidents did you any other agency’s collections of NTSB’s burden estimate; to comment on
experience?’’ and include a listing of the information. The NTSB is unaware of how to enhance the quality, utility, and
serious incidents operators are required any form the Federal Aviation clarity of the information to be
to report under 49 CFR 830.5. Administration disseminates that collected; and to comment on how the
Respondents can check the link to the solicits the same information the NTSB might minimize the burden of the
appropriate incident and fill out the electronic form will require. However, collection of information.
information required to be reported for the NTSB notes some operators may
that incident. The form also asks The NTSB will work with OIRA to
choose to provide a voluntary report to
whether serious injuries or substantial consider all feedback it receives in
the National Aeronautics and Space
damage occurred, as well as whether the response to this notice. As described
Administration (NASA) in accordance
incident involved an unmanned aircraft above, obtaining the information the
with the Aviation Safety Reporting
system (UAS). The form will include NTSB seeks on these electronic incident
Program (ASRP).2
web hyperlinks to the definitions of The NTSB notes informing the NTSB report forms in a timely manner is
‘‘serious injury’’ and ‘‘substantial of a serious incident listed at 49 CFR important to the NTSB’s mission in
damage,’’ as defined at 49 CFR 830.2, 830.5 is not voluntary, but is required investigating incidents and thereby
and a link to guidance on reporting UAS by 49 CFR 830.5 and 830.10. The NTSB, improving aviation safety. Therefore,
obtaining approval from OIRA for this
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES

accidents and incidents. If a respondent
answers ‘‘yes’’ to any of those questions, 2 Under the ASRP, the Administrator of the electronic collection of information is a
the information collection will conclude Federal Aviation Administrator may waive the priority for the NTSB.
imposition of a sanction, despite the finding of a
by displaying an instruction for the regulatory violation, as long as certain requirements Christopher A. Hart,
are satisfied. Aviation Safety Reporting Program, Chairman.
1 See Information Collection Review Reference Advisory Circular 00–46E (Dec. 16, 2011). To take
Number 201311–3147–001; OMB Control Number advantage of the program, one must voluntarily file [FR Doc. 2016–25412 Filed 10–19–16; 8:45 am]
3147–0001. a report with NASA. BILLING CODE 7533–01–P

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:40 Oct 19, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\20OCN1.SGM 20OCN1

Document Created: 2016-10-21 09:59:26
Document Modified: 2016-10-21 09:59:26

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice.
Dates		Submit written comments regarding this proposed plan for the collection of information by November 21, 2016.
FR Citation		81 FR 72620