Aviation Reports Its Near-Misses. Almost Nothing Else Does.
For about fifty years, the United States has run a system that the rest of the safety-critical world looks at, agrees is excellent, and quietly fails to copy. The Aviation Safety Reporting System, NASA-administered since 1976, is non-punitive: a pilot, controller, mechanic, or flight attendant can report a near-miss, a procedure violation, or an unsafe condition with the implicit guarantee that — except in cases of criminal intent or willful misconduct — the report will not be used as the basis for FAA enforcement....