In a move to better understand the operations of UAS in the National Airspace, the FAA has extended the Aviation Safety Reporting Program (ASRP) to drones. The ASRP is an anonymous reporting system run by NASA where drone operators can now report incidents like a flyaway or an issue with a manned aircraft.
The move aims to gather as much data as possible about operations in the National Airspace to ensure safety for the entire aviation community.
Per the FAA:
The FAA's ASRP enables a non-punitive avenue for anonymous reporting. If you file a report with NASA's ASRS, the FAA considers this to be evidence of a constructive attitude. Therefore, even if a finding of a violation is made, a civil penalty or certificate suspension will not be imposed as long as:
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The violation was inadvertent and not deliberate;
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The violation did not involve a criminal offense, accident, or action under 49 U.S.C. § 44709, which discloses a lack of qualification or competency, which is wholly excluded from this policy;
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The person has not been found in any prior FAA enforcement action to have committed a violation of 49 U.S.C. subtitle VII, or any regulation promulgated there for a period of 5 years prior to the date of occurrence; and
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The person proves that, within 10 days after the violation, or date when the person became aware or should have been aware of the violation, he or she completed and delivered or mailed a written report of the incident or occurrence to NASA.
ASRS captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital information to the aviation community. This system is completely confidential, voluntary, and non-punitive. Anyone can use this reporting system, including bystanders.
