Home Medical Factors Facing Pilots Aviation Stories Of Interest FAA Exam Aviation News Maintenance and Aircraft Mechanics General Aviation Helicopters
Aviation History Legal Issues In Aviation Links To Other Sites Editorials Hot Air Balloon Aviation Training Handbooks Read Online Upcoming Events Editorials

 



 
OIG To Audit The FAA’s Air Carrier Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program
 
By Eddy Metcalf
 

September 12, 2012 - The Office of Inspector General (OIG) plans to initiate an audit of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) oversight of the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP).   

OIG is conducting this review in accordance with a provision in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.  Established in 2006, FAA’s VDRP allows air carriers to voluntarily report adverse safety issues to FAA without fear of enforcement actions.   

OIG’s objectives will be to determine whether the FAA ensures that air carrier disclosure reports meet FAA requirements prior to acceptance into the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program and evaluate the effectiveness of air carrier corrective actions prior to closing the reports. 

 

In 2006, the FAA established the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP), which allows air carriers to voluntarily report adverse safety issues to FAA without fear of enforcement actions. While this program provides an important opportunity to identify and mitigate safety issues that might not otherwise come to the Agency’s attention, it also requires close monitoring by the FAA to ensure the program is not misused.  

For example, in 2008, OIG reported that the FAA allowed a major airline to repeatedly self-disclose violations of mandatory safety directives without ensuring the carrier had developed and implemented solutions to prevent recurrence of the reported problems. Carriers are required to develop comprehensive solutions to identified safety issues in order for the FAA to accept the disclosure and absolve the carrier of any penalty. 

The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 included a mandate that the Office of Inspector General examine the FAA’s oversight of VDRP. Accordingly, OIG’s audit objectives are to determine whether FAA ensures that air carrier disclosure reports meet FAA requirements prior to acceptance into the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program and evaluates the effectiveness of air carrier corrective actions prior to closing the reports. OIG also expressed concern that FAA may rely too heavily on self-disclosures to identify safety issues, which may promote a pattern of leniency in the acceptance and closure of these reports. 

OIG’s audit will include visits to FAA Headquarters and regional offices as well as select Flight Standards Service field offices that oversee commercial airlines. OIG will begin this audit September 19, 2012.

 

 

 
 
Other News Stories (For the latest news please checkout our home page)
 
 
 
 
blog comments powered by Disqus  
Home Aviation News Aviation Stories Of Interest FAA Exam Upcoming Events Links To Other Sites General Aviation Helicopters Medical Factors Facing Pilots
Maintenance and Aircraft Mechanics Hot Air Balloon Aviation Training Handbooks Read Online Aviation History Legal Issues In Aviation Sea Planes Editorials
 
 ©AvStop Online Magazine                                                                 Contact Us                                                  Return To News                                          Bookmark and Share
 
 

AvStop Aviation News and Resource Online Magazine