[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 13, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58276-58277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29067]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. 28730]


Issues Related to Availability and Accessibility of Aviation 
Safety Data

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of issue paper and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA, in response to a request from Senators Wyden and 
Ford, has undertaken an effort to determine the best means of providing 
aviation safety information to the public while ensuring the integrity 
of the aviation safety system. The Senators asked the FAA to work with 
the aviation community, and others, to recommend the best means to 
educate the public and to make available to them information about 
commercial aviation safety. At FAA's request, GRA Inc. has prepared a 
paper entitled, ``A Review of Issues Related to Availability and 
Accessibility of Aviation Safety Data.'' This paper has not been 
approved by, and does not necessarily represent the views of, the FAA. 
The paper is intended to serve as a starting point for discussion, not 
as a statement of what should be done. This notice describes how the 
paper can be obtained and how comments may be provided.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 3, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments in triplicate to: Federal Aviation 
Administration, Office of Chief Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket (AGC-
200), Docket No. 28730, 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 
20591. Comments must be marked Docket No. 28730. Commenters wishing the 
FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments must include a pre-
addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: 
``Comments to Docket No. 28730.'' The postcard will be date stamped and 
mailed to the commenter. All comments submitted will be available for 
examination (both before and after the closing date for comments) in 
the FAA Rules Docket, at the above address, room 915G, on weekdays, 
except on Federal holidays, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Copies of the paper, and other information can be obtained by written, 
telephone, or fax request, or in person, from Mr. Dave Balderston, 
Program Analyst, System Safety Plans Division, Office of System Safety 
(ASY-300), Room 726, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence 
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone 202-267-7663 (voice), 202-
267-5234 (fax). The paper, ``A Review of Issues Related to Availability 
and Accessibility of Aviation Safety Data,'' can be downloaded at the 
following Internet location: http://nasdac.faa.gov/safety__info__study/
.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    GRA Inc. has prepared a paper entitled ``A Review of Issues Related 
to Availability and Accessibility of Safety Data'' which reviews 
aviation safety data and measurement issues. In addition, the paper 
examines the more general subject of risk communication and how some 
non-aviation organizations approach issues related to informing the 
public. The purpose of the paper is to elicit input from FAA, the 
aviation industry, consumer groups, and other interested parties on 
this subject. As such, the paper makes no recommendations per se; 
rather, it identifies options that may be available to FAA and others 
regarding the dissemination of aviation safety information.
    The paper is organized as a discussion of the following topics:

Safety Data

    Accident and Incident Data
    Inspection and Surveillance Data
    Exposure Data

Analysis and Interpretation of Safety Data

    Recent Research
    Value of Safety Information to FAA
    Value of Safety Information to Consumers
    Conflicts Between FAA and Consumer Uses

Availability and Accessibility of Safety Data

    Accident, Incident, and Exposure Data
    Inspection and Surveillance Data

Experience of Other Federal Agencies

    The FDIC and Measures of the Financial Strengths of Banks
    NHTSA and Automobile Safety
    The NRC and Nuclear Power

Public Access to Safety Information

Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to submit such written data, views, 
or arguments as they may desire. Comments that address the following 
issues will be most helpful to the FAA concerning the public 
availability of safety information:

--What information is now publicly available concerning aviation 
safety?

[[Page 58277]]

--How accessible and timely is the aviation safety information that is 
currently available?
--What public needs for aviation safety information are not now being 
met?
--How could the availability and accessibility of safety information to 
the public be increased?
--To what extent would these increases in the availability and 
accessibility of safety information satisfy unmet public needs, and 
what are the other pros and cons of these increases?

    Communications should identify the document number and be submitted 
to the address listed above. Comments should not be sent or directed to 
GRA Inc. All comments received on or before the closing date for 
comments will be considered.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on November 7, 1996.
Barry P. Bermingham,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for System Safety.
[FR Doc. 96-29067 Filed 11-12-96; 8:45 am]
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