Safety reporting in aviation has a long history. In the U.S., the concept of voluntary safety reports dates to the 1970s with the rollout of NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). Today, with the adoption of a modern safety management systems (SMS) and other voluntary aviation safety programs, there are more opportunities for pilots and other employees to report safety hazards.
“NASA ASRS is a voluntary, confidential, non-punitive reporting system that receives safety reports from pilots, air traffic controllers, cabin crew, ground operations, dispatch, and maintenance,” said NASA ASRS director Becky Hooey. The growth of the system has been impressive. According to Hooey, “NASA ASRS has received over 1.8 million safety reports since its inception in 1976. Compared to the first year when ASRS received about 100 reports, ASRS report intake has grown approximately one-thousand-fold, with an all-time high of 108,000 annual reports submitted in 2019.” Today, roughly 20 percent of all NASA ASRS reports are submitted by general aviation pilots.
More In Safety
