The helicopter air ambulance operational data (the number of flights and hours flown, along with other specified information) reported to the FAA will be used by the agency as background information in the development of risk mitigation strategies to reduce the helicopter air ambulance accident rate, and to meet the mandates set by Congress. This reporting requirement is mandatory for All helicopter air ambulance operators on an annual basis.
Since the last approval of the information collection, operator data have changed. The overall number of operators has decreased by 7. After the submittal of the 2017 Annual Reports in early 2018, the FAA determined that both the number of large operators (to which we attribute a higher hourly burden) has decreased and the number of small operators (to which we attributed a lower hourly burden) has decreased.
Further, in response to comments that the FAA has underestimated the hourly burden for both large and small operators, the FAA has increased the estimates of hourly burden for both large and small operators.
In order to provide a clearer picture of the burden we have broken the large helicopter air ambulance reports and small helicopter air ambulance reports into two separate ICs with this ROCIS submission. The IC for the large helicopter air ambulance reports shows a reduction of 60 responses because in the previous submission all 73 responses were listed under this IC and now there are 13 responses for large helicopter air ambulance reports. The IC for small helicopter air ambulance reports shows an increase of 53 responses because this IC did not exist in the previous ROCIS submission so all 53 responses are new to the system with this submission.
$5,582
No
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Nancy Claussen 202 267-8166
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.