[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 7804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4159]



[[Page 7804]]

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NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD


Reporting Statistics--Airlines

AGENCY: National Transportation Safety Board.

ACTION: Notice of statistical reporting changes.

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SUMMARY: On January 7, 1997, the NTSB adopted a system for classifying 
airline accidents by their severity. This system is a minor revision of 
a proposal published in the Federal Register on December 5, 1996. An 
improved classification system providing more meaningful measures of 
the level of safety of airline transportation was required by the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 1996. This notice describes changes in the 
adopted version from the proposed classification system and additional 
accident parameters, many focusing on passenger injuries. The NTSB will 
remain open to suggestions for improving the content and format of its 
statistics.

DATES: The NTSB adopted the new classification system on January 7, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments and suggestions may be submitted to: Analysis and 
Data Division (RE-50), ATTN: Airline Statistics, National 
Transportation Safety Board, 490 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. 
20594-2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stan Smith (202) 314-6550.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Safety Board retained its proposed four-
category system but re-designated the second category ``Serious'' 
rather than ``Severe.'' A cautionary note was added to the list of 
accidents in which one or more passengers received fatal injuries. That 
note reads:

    The NTSB wishes to make clear to all users of the following list 
of accidents that the information it contains cannot, by itself, be 
used to compare the safety either of operators or of aircraft types. 
Airlines that have operated the greatest number of flights and 
flight hours could be expected to have suffered the greatest number 
of fatal-to-passenger accidents (assuming that such accidents are 
random events, and not the result of some systematic deficiency). 
Similarly, the most used aircraft types would tend to be involved in 
such accidents more than lesser used types. The NTSB also cautions 
the user to bear in mind when attempting to compare today's airline 
system to prior years that airline activity (and hence exposure to 
risk) has risen by almost 100% from the first year depicted to the 
last.

    Issued in Washington, DC on this 13th day of February, 1997.
Jim Hall,
Chairman.
[FR Doc. 97-4159 Filed 2-19-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7533-01-M