ASRS: Safe Protections

The Aviation Safety Reporting System, ASRS, is a means of confidentially and anonymously reporting unsafe conditions-including your own actions-in aviation, generally without fear of FAA enforcement. Most of us are at least somewhat aware of the ASRS program, but few of us really understand how it works. This is an important program that is of benefit to aviation at large and potentially to us individually, so we should all understand what the ASRS system is, what it can do for us, and how to use it.

Fred Simonds

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is a confidential, non-punitive program administered by NASA, allowing aviation professionals to report safety issues (including their own errors) without fear of FAA enforcement.
ASRS was established following a fatal accident that revealed a critical lack of cross-organizational safety information sharing, underscoring its role in identifying systemic problems and preventing future accidents.
Filing a timely ASRS report (within 10 days) can provide individuals with immunity from FAA enforcement for minor violations, demonstrating a constructive attitude toward safety and serving as a crucial defense in potential enforcement actions.
Beyond individual protection, ASRS contributes to overall aviation safety by maintaining a searchable database of reports that informs FAA policy, helps resolve issues, identifies product deficiencies, and publishes a monthly safety newsletter.

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The Aviation Safety Reporting System, ASRS, is a means of confidentially and anonymously reporting unsafe conditions—including your own actions—in aviation, generally without fear of FAA enforcement. Most of us are at least somewhat aware of the ASRS program, but few of us really understand how it works. This is an important program that is of benefit to aviation at large and potentially to us individually, so we should all understand what the ASRS system is, what it can do for us, and how to use it.

Detecting Unsafe Patterns

The catalyst for developing ASRS was—as is often the case—a tragic, preventable accident. On December 1, 1974, TWA 514 was inbound to Dulles Airport in IMC and turbulence. The crew misunderstood an ATC clearance they thought permitted them to descend to 1800 feet. However, that altitude was for the next approach segment, not their current segment. The Boeing 727 crashed into Mt. Weather with no survivors.