FAA Seeks Comments on Safety Survey Paperwork Renewal
Published Date: 9/4/2026
Notice
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 for an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on July 19, 2023. Two comments were received (one comment was submitted twice with an editorial correction) and responded to in the supporting statement accessible following the instructions outlined in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. The collection involves collecting safety data from FAA Flight Standards Service, Safety Management System Voluntary Program participants. The collection is necessary to evaluate participating certificate holders and their compliance with voluntary program requirements.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Paperwork Burden for SMSVP Participants
If your aviation organization participates in the Safety Management System Voluntary Program, the FAA estimates 795 annual responses from 159 participants and a three‑year total burden of 11,258 hours. The FAA says the annual burden hours were determined by dividing that three‑year total.
Upfront SMS Development Costs
For aviation organizations initially developing a Safety Management System to join the voluntary program, the FAA estimates implementation costs ranging from $6,052 to $10,912. The estimate applies to organizations that are initially developing an SMS, not those that already have one.
No Additional Capital Costs for Reporting
The FAA states that, other than the staff hours to comply with the information collection, SMSVP respondents will have no additional capital, start‑up, or maintenance costs associated with this collection of information. That means the FAA expects monetary costs from the collection itself to be limited to labor time.
Who Can Join the Voluntary Program
The FAA clarified which aviation organizations are eligible for the SMS Voluntary Program, listing Part 91 (Living History Flying Experience), Part 91 subpart K, Part 125, Part 133, Part 137, Part 141, Part 142, Part 145, and Part 147 organizations. Aviation organizations required by regulation to have an SMS cannot participate in the voluntary program.
FAA Partnership Offers Web Tool (WBAT)
The FAA entered a public‑private partnership with Universal Technical Resources Services to offer a Web‑Based Application Tool (WBAT) and related services (WBAT, Fuzion Safety, and Fuzion Safety Services) that aviation organizations can use to develop an SMS. WBAT is described as one of several companies and services available for SMS development.
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