US DOT FAA Advisory Circular AC: 00-46E

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Aviation
Administration

Advisory
Circular

Subject: Aviation Safety Reporting Program

Date: 12/16/11

AC No: 00-46E

Initiated by: AFS-200

Change:

1. PURPOSE. This advisory circular (AC) describes the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) Aviation Safety Reporting Program (ASRP) which utilizes the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) as a third party to receive and process Aviation Safety Reports.
This cooperative safety reporting program invites pilots, controllers, Flight Attendants (F/A),
maintenance personnel, dispatchers, and other users of the National Airspace System (NAS), or
any other person, to report to NASA actual or potential discrepancies and deficiencies involving
the safety of aviation operations. The operations covered by the program include departure, en
route, approach, and landing operations and procedures; air traffic control (ATC) procedures and
equipment; crew and ATC communications; aircraft cabin operations; aircraft movement on the
airport; near midair collisions (NMAC); aircraft maintenance and recordkeeping; and airport
conditions or services. The effectiveness of this program in improving safety depends on the
free, unrestricted flow of information from the users of the NAS. Based on information obtained
from this program, the FAA will take corrective action as necessary to remedy defects or
deficiencies in the NAS. The reports may also provide data for improving the current system and
planning for a future system.
2. CANCELLATION. This AC cancels AC 00-46D, Aviation Safety Reporting Program,
dated February 26, 1997.
3. BACKGROUND.
a. FAA Mission. The primary mission of the FAA is to promote aviation safety. To further
this mission, the FAA instituted a voluntary ASRP on April 30, 1975, designed to encourage the
identification and reporting of deficiencies and discrepancies in the system.
b. NASA Partnership. The FAA determined that the ASRP effectiveness would be greatly
enhanced if NASA, rather than the FAA, accomplished the receipt, processing, and analysis of
raw data. This would ensure the anonymity of the reporter and of all parties involved in a
reported occurrence or incident and, consequently, increase the flow of information necessary for
the effective evaluation of the safety and efficiency of the system. Accordingly, NASA designed
and administers the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to perform these functions in
accordance with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) executed by the FAA and NASA on
August 15, 1975, as modified September 30, 1983, and August 13, 1987. NASA conducts
current ASRS operations in accordance with an MOA executed by the FAA and NASA on
June 15, 1999.

AC 00-46E

12/16/11

4. NASA RESPONSIBILITIES.
a. General. NASA ASRS provides for the receipt, analysis, and de-identification of
Aviation Safety Reports. In addition, ASRS publishes and distributes periodic reports of findings
obtained through the reporting program to the public, the aviation community, and the FAA.
b. Advisory Committee. The NASA ASRS Advisory Committee, composed of
representatives from the aviation community, including NASA, the FAA, and the National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) advises NASA on the conduct of the ASRS. The
Committee conducts periodic meetings to evaluate and ensure the effectiveness of the reporting
system.
5. PROHIBITION AGAINST THE USE OF REPORTS FOR ENFORCEMENT
PURPOSES.
a. Background. Designed and operated by NASA, the NASA ASRS security system
ensures the confidentiality and anonymity of the reporter, and other parties as appropriate,
involved in a reported occurrence or incident. The FAA will not seek, and NASA will not release
or make available to the FAA, any report filed with NASA under the ASRS or any other
information that might reveal the identity of any party involved in an occurrence or incident
reported under the ASRS. There has been no breach of confidentiality in more than 34 years of
the ASRS under NASA management.
b. Regulatory Restrictions. Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR)
part 91, § 91.25 prohibits the use of any reports submitted to NASA under the ASRS
(or information derived therefrom) in any disciplinary action, except information concerning
criminal offenses or accidents that are covered under paragraphs 7a(1) and 7a(2).
c. Non-ASRS Report. When violation of the 14 CFR comes to the attention of the FAA
from a source other than a report filed with NASA under the ASRS, the Administrator of the
FAA will take appropriate action. See paragraph 9.
6. REPORTING PROCEDURES. Forms in the NASA ARC 277 series have been prepared
specifically for intended users (including ARC 277A for air traffic use, 277B for general use
including pilots, 277C for flight attendants and 277D for maintenance personnel) and are
preaddressed and postage free, or are available online for access and filing electronically.
Additionally, organizations may elect to securely transfer copies of reports from their internal
reporting system to NASA ASRS directly. Forms with a narrative report should be completed
and mailed to ASRS at NASA, Aviation Safety Reporting System, P.O. Box 189, Moffett Field,
CA 94035-0189, or filed electronically with ASRS through the NASA ASRS Web site at
http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov.
7. PROCESSING OF REPORTS.
a. Processing Procedures. NASA procedures for processing Aviation Safety Reports
initially screen the reports for:

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AC 00-46E

(1) Information concerning criminal offenses, which will be referred promptly to the
Department of Justice and the FAA;
(2) Information concerning accidents, which will be referred promptly to the NTSB and
the FAA; and
NOTE: Reports discussing criminal activities or accidents are not
de-identified prior to their referral to the agencies outlined above.
(3) Time-critical information that, after de-identification, will be promptly referred to
the FAA and other interested parties.
b. Reporter Identification (ID) Strip. Each Aviation Safety Report, in paper or electronic
format, contains an ID strip that contains the information that identifies the person submitting the
report. NASA will time stamp and return the ID strip to the reporter as a receipt by NASA. This
will provide the reporter with proof that he or she filed a report on a specific incident or
occurrence. The ID strip section of the ASRS report form provides NASA program personnel
with the means to contact the reporter if there is a need for additional information to understand
more completely the report’s content. Except in the case of reports describing accidents or
criminal activities, NASA does not create or retain a copy of an ASRS form’s ID strip for ASRS
files. Prompt return of ID strips is a primary element of the ASRS program’s report
de-identification process and ensures the reporter’s anonymity.
8. DE-IDENTIFICATION. All information that might assist in or establish the ID of persons
filing ASRS reports and parties named in those reports will be deleted, except for reports covered
under paragraphs 7a(1) and 7a(2). This de-identification will be accomplished within a timely
manner after NASA’s receipt of the reports.
9. ENFORCEMENT POLICY.
a. Administrator’s Responsibilities. The Administrator of the FAA will perform his or her
responsibility under Title 49 of the United States Code (49 U.S.C.) subtitle VII, and enforce the
statute and the 14 CFR in a manner that will reduce or eliminate the possibility of, or recurrence
of, aircraft accidents. The FAA enforcement procedures are set forth in 14 CFR part 13 and FAA
enforcement handbooks.
b. Enforcement Action. When determining the type and extent of the enforcement action to
take in a particular case, the FAA will consider the following factors:

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(1)

Nature of the violation;

(2)

Whether the violation was inadvertent or deliberate;

(3)

The certificate holder’s level of experience and responsibility;

(4)

Attitude of the violator;

(5)

The hazard to safety of others, which should have been foreseen;

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(6)

Action taken by employer or other government authority;

(7)

Length of time which has elapsed since the violation;

(8)

The certificate holder’s use of the certificate;

(9) The need for special deterrent action in a particular regulatory area or segment of
the aviation community; and
(10) Presence of any factors involving national interest, such as the use of aircraft for
criminal purposes.
c. Enforcement Restrictions. The FAA considers the filing of a report with NASA
concerning an incident or occurrence involving a violation of 49 U.S.C. subtitle VII or the
14 CFR to be indicative of a constructive attitude. Such an attitude will tend to prevent future
violations. Accordingly, although a finding of violation may be made, neither a civil penalty nor
certificate suspension will be imposed if:
(1)

The violation was inadvertent and not deliberate;

(2) The violation did not involve a criminal offense, accident, or action under
49 U.S.C. § 44709, which discloses a lack of qualification or competency, which is wholly
excluded from this policy;
(3) The person has not been found in any prior FAA enforcement action to have
committed a violation of 49 U.S.C. subtitle VII, or any regulation promulgated there for a period
of 5 years prior to the date of occurrence; and
(4) The person proves that, within 10 days after the violation, or date when the person
became aware or should have been aware of the violation, he or she completed and delivered or
mailed a written report of the incident or occurrence to NASA.
NOTE: Paragraph 9 does not apply to air traffic controllers, who are
covered under the provisions of the Air Traffic Safety Action Program
(ATSAP), as described in the ATSAP Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU).
10. OTHER REPORTS. This program does not eliminate responsibility for reports, narratives,
or forms presently required by existing directives.

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AC 00-46E

11. AVAILABILITY OF FORMS. Electronic reporting forms (NASA ARC Form 277-series,
Aviation Safety Reporting System) are available for access and secure electronic filing from the
NASA ASRS Web site at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov. Alternatively, forms from this site may be
accessed, printed, and completed by hand, or accessed and completed by computer and then
printed. These may then be mailed to NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System, P.O. Box 189,
Moffett Field, California 94035-0189.

/s/

for

John M. Allen
Director, Flight Standards Service

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