[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60165-60166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24188]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of Renewed Approval of Information Collection: Flight 
Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) Program

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 
invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information 
collection. Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) is a program 
for the routine collection and analysis of digital flight data from 
airline operations, including but not limited to digital flight data 
currently collected pursuant to existing regulatory provisions. The FAA 
requires certificate holders who

[[Page 60166]]

voluntarily establish approved FOQA programs to periodically provide 
aggregate trend analysis information from such programs to the FAA.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by December 3, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy DePaepe at (405) 954-9362, or by 
email at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 2120-0660.
    Title: Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) Program.
    Form Numbers: There are no FAA forms associated with this 
collection.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background: The purpose of collecting, analyzing, aggregating, and 
reporting this information is to identify potential threats to safety, 
and to enable early corrective action before such threats lead to 
accidents. FOQA can provide an objective source of information for FAA 
decision making, including identification of the need for new 
rulemaking based on observed trends in FOQA data. Title 14, Code of 
Federal Regulations (14 CFR), Subpart 13.401, stipulates that the FAA 
does not use FOQA information in punitive enforcement action against an 
air carrier or its employees, when that air carrier has an FAA approved 
FOQA program. There are no legal or administrative requirements that 
necessitate this rule. The rule is intended to encourage the voluntary 
implementation of FOQA programs in the interest of safety enhancement.
    Respondents: 60 airline operators.
    Frequency: Information is collected monthly.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 720 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the FAA at the following address: Ms. Kathy 
DePaepe, Room 126B, Federal Aviation Administration, AES-200, 6500 S. 
MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73169.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for FAA's performance; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) 
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include 
your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information 
collection.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 25, 2012.
Albert R. Spence,
FAA Assistant Information Collection Clearance Officer, IT Enterprises 
Business Services Division, AES-200.
[FR Doc. 2012-24188 Filed 10-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P