NATCA ZFW - NASA's ASRS Program

Please consider using NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System whenever you experience an unsafe or hazardous situation, or are involved in an operational error or deviation. We have provided a link, below, so that you can view the Controller's form, or download it to your computer.

NASA ASRS Controller Form (PDF file)
Left click the link to see the form in a new window or...
Right click the link to download the form to your computer.

[Note 1 - you can complete the form on your computer (instead of using a pen) but
you will not be able to save the completed form unless you have the full version
of Adobe^® Acrobat^® (c.$300). But you can print two copies, one for NASA and one for your records.]

[Note 2 - if you don't have Adobe^® Reader^®,
click the icon below to get the free download (27.4MB).]

For more information on the ASRS program, please see NASA's ASRS website at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/main_nf.htm or you can read some of that information below:

[Next three sections shamelessly stolen from NASA's website:]

ASRS CONCEPT AND MISSION

The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) receives, processes and analyzes voluntarily submitted incident reports from pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, and others. Reports submitted to ASRS describe both unsafe occurrences and hazardous situations. ASRS’s particular concern is the quality of human performance in the aviation system.

REPORT INTAKE OVERVIEW

ASRS receives reports from pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, and a variety of other individuals. ASRS's report intake has been robust from the first days of the program, averaging approximately 400 reports per month. In recent years, report intake has grown at an enormous rate. It now averages 673 reports per week and more than 2,845 reports per month.

THE IMMUNITY CONCEPT: CONTROLLERS

FAA Facility Operation and Administration Handbook, 7210.3S
[Emphasis added]

Paragraph 2-2-10 Performance Deficiency Corrective Actions

a. Remedial training shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 2, Section 3, of FAAO 3120.4, Air Traffic Technical Training.

b. Performance deficiencies which have proven not to be correctable through the remediation process shall be resolved under FAAO 3500.7, I, or FAAO 3550.6, Performance Management and Recognition System.

c. Disciplinary action may not be taken against an employee for performance which led to an operational error or deviation if all the following conditions were met:

The employee’s action or lack of action was inadvertent; and
The employee’s action or lack of action did not involve a criminal offense, accident, or action under Section 609 of the Federal Aviation Act which discloses a lack of qualification or competency, which is wholly excluded from this policy; and
The employee shows proof that within 10 days after the occurrence of the operational error or deviation he/she completed and delivered or mailed a written report of the occurrence to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

ALSO......
From the 2003 NATCA/FAA Air Traffic Controllers CBA:

Article 62: The Employer, with Union input, has established a policy for operational errors which limits the circumstances under which discipline is imposed. Disciplinary action shall not be imposed when the employee's action was inadvertent; did not involve gross negligence or a criminal offense; the employee files a NASA report on the error within the time limits prescribed in applicable regulations; and does not otherwise cover up the error.