Safety Reports
Aviation Safety Data Accessibility Study Index: Preface
Recently, Senators Wyden and Ford asked the FAA to work with the aviation community to recommend the best means to educate the public and make available information about commercial aviation safety, while at the same time ensuring that the integrity of the safety system is maintained. This document has been developed to stimulate discussion and to obtain feedback on the types of aviation safety data that FAA might make available to the public, how such information might be distributed, and issues and considerations that arise in the distribution of these data. The scope of this review did not include issues related to the release of aviation security data.

This report is a revised version of an earlier paper, "A Review of Issues Related to Availability and Accessibility of Aviation Safety Data," dated October 29, 1996. Availability of the earlier version of this report was announced in the Federal Register on November 13, 1996. In addition, copies of the draft paper were made available to selected aviation organizations and others who requested copies. A public comment period and a docket were established to receive written comments on the draft report. The comment period closed on December 3, 1996. All comments received through December 10, 1996 were reviewed. Comments received on matters discussed in the draft report are reflected in the revised report.

Professor Arnold Barnett of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Professor Clinton V. Oster, Jr. of Indiana University made important contributions to this paper. In particular, they provided guidance on statistical analyses of aviation safety data, determining whether observed differences are meaningful, and relating their own experience in examining questions of comparative safety performance among air carriers. R. Davis Balderston of FAA provided input on the availability of existing data. In addition, he made many useful suggestions on the issues related to making aviation safety data both more available and easier to access. Numerous commenters on an initial draft of the paper, representing a cross section of the aviation industry, also contributed to the report. The materials in this document have been prepared by GRA, Incorporated under contract with FAA. They do not represent an official position of the FAA.

Click here to return to Aviation Safety Data Accessibility Study Index