Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of a Renewed Approval of Information Collection: Helicopter Air Ambulance Operator Reports, 13602 [2021-04884]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 13602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04884]



[[Page 13602]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0986]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of a Renewed Approval of Information Collection: Helicopter 
Air Ambulance Operator Reports

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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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 to renew an information 
collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period 
soliciting comments on the following collection of information was 
published on October 14, 2020. The collection involves the requirement 
for Helicopter Air Ambulance Operators to report certain information to 
the FAA. The FAA collects 14 pieces of data from helicopter air 
ambulance operators, 8 of which are mandated in the report to Congress. 
We collect data on the following: Number of helicopters, helicopter 
base locations, number of hours the helicopters are flown, number of 
patients transported, number of transportation requests accepted or 
denied, number of accidents, number of instrument flight hours flown, 
number of night flight hours flown, number of incidents, and the rate 
of accidents or incidents per 100,000 flight hours. The information to 
be collected will be used in helping the FAA develop risk mitigation 
strategies and provide information to Congress.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by April 8, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Luipersbeck by email at: 
[email protected]; phone: 615-202-9683

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Comments Invited: You are asked to 
comment on any aspect of this information collection, including (a) 
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for FAA's 
performance; (b) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA 
to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
collection; and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized without 
reducing the quality of the collected information.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-0761.
    Title: Helicopter Air Ambulance Operator Reports.
    Form Numbers: 2120-0756.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background: The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment 
period soliciting comments on the following collection of information 
was published on October 14, 2020 (85 FR 65133). One comment was 
received.
    The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the Act), as amended 
by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, mandates that all helicopter 
air ambulance operators must begin reporting the number of flights and 
hours flown, along with other specified information, during which 
helicopters operated by the certificate holder were providing 
helicopter air ambulance services. See Public Law 112-95, Sec. 306, 49 
U.S.C. 44731. The FAA Administrator had 180 days to develop a 
methodology to collect and store those data. The Act further mandates 
that not later than 2 years after the date of enactment, and annually 
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a 
report containing a summary of the data collected.
    The helicopter air ambulance operational data provided to the FAA 
is used by the agency as background information useful in the 
development of risk mitigation strategies to reduce the helicopter air 
ambulance accident rate, and to meet the mandates set by Congress. All 
helicopter air ambulance operators must report data to the FAA.
    The FAA collects 14 pieces of data from helicopter air ambulance 
operators which are mandated in the report to Congress. Data is 
collected on the following: number of helicopters, helicopter base 
locations, number of hours the helicopters are flown, number of 
patients transported, number of transportation requests accepted or 
denied, number of accidents, number of instrument flight hours flown, 
number of night flight hours flown, number of incidents in which a 
helicopter was not directly dispatched and arrived to transport 
patients but was not utilized for patient transport, and the number of 
accidents that occurred while conducting helicopter air ambulance 
operations. The information is collected annually.
    Respondents: 62 Helicopter Air Ambulance Operators.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Varies per size of 
operation.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 738 Hours for all operators.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2021.
Sheri A. Martin,
Management and Program Analyst, FAA, Air Transportation Division, AFS-
200.
[FR Doc. 2021-04884 Filed 3-8-21; 8:45 am]
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