ASAP Program Reference

The Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is a voluntary reporting program authorized under FAA Advisory Circular 120-66C. It provides a structured process for employees to report safety events without fear of punitive action, provided the report meets specific criteria defined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the certificate holder, the FAA, and (optionally) the employee group.

ASAP Report Statuses

Status	API Value	Description
Submitted	`submitted`	Report filed by the employee. Awaiting ERC review.
Under Review	`under_review`	The ERC is actively reviewing the report.
Accepted	`accepted`	The ERC determined the event meets MOU criteria. Corrective actions may be assigned.
Referred	`referred`	The event does not meet MOU criteria and is referred to management outside the ASAP program.
Corrective Action	`corrective_action`	Accepted report with active corrective actions in progress.
Resolved	`resolved`	All corrective actions are complete and verified. The report is closed.
Withdrawn	`withdrawn`	The reporter withdrew the report before ERC review.

Status Transitions

MOU Requirements

A valid ASAP program requires a signed Memorandum of Understanding that defines:

Element	Description
Parties	Certificate holder, FAA Flight Standards District Office, employee group.
Scope	Which employee groups are covered (pilots, dispatchers, maintenance, cabin).
Reporting window	Maximum time after an event within which a report must be submitted (typically 24 hours).
Exclusion criteria	Events that cannot be accepted (criminal activity, substance abuse, intentional acts, accident).
Corrective action types	What actions the ERC can assign (training, counseling, procedure review).
Confidentiality	How reporter identity is protected during and after review.
Duration and renewal	MOU term length and renewal process.

ASAP protections only apply when the MOU is active and the report meets all acceptance criteria. If your MOU has expired or has not been renewed, reports submitted through the ASAP workflow do not carry ASAP protections. Verify MOU status with your safety manager.

Event Review Committee (ERC)

The ERC is the body that reviews ASAP reports and makes acceptance and corrective action decisions. Its composition is defined in the MOU.

Standard ERC Composition

Member	Represents	Role in Review
Company representative	Certificate holder	Evaluates operational impact, assigns company resources.
FAA representative	Flight Standards	Ensures regulatory compliance, may advise on enforcement.
Employee representative	Employee group	Advocates for fair treatment, provides operational context.

All ERC decisions require consensus. If consensus cannot be reached, the MOU defines the dispute resolution process.

ERC Review Criteria

The ERC evaluates each report against these acceptance criteria:

Timeliness — Was the report submitted within the MOU reporting window?
Inadvertence — Was the event unintentional?
No criminal activity — Does the event involve criminal conduct?
No substance abuse — Was the reporter impaired by drugs or alcohol?
Not an accident — Does the event meet the NTSB definition of an accident?

Regulatory Basis

Reference	Relevance
AC 120-66C	FAA guidance for establishing and operating ASAP programs.
14 CFR 5.25(b)	SMS requirement for voluntary employee safety reporting systems.
FAA Order 8900.1	Inspector guidance for reviewing and approving ASAP MOUs.

Use the ASAP Program

Submit, review, and resolve ASAP reports.

Manage ASAP

Quick-start guide for ASAP submission and review.

Just Culture Framework

Accountability framework for safety events.

Report Types

All safety report types and their regulatory basis.

SMS Reference

SmartScore

Operations Reference

FBO Reference

Maintenance Reference

Operational Reports

Portal Reference

Platform Reference

API Reference

ASAP Report Statuses

Status Transitions

MOU Requirements

Event Review Committee (ERC)

Standard ERC Composition

ERC Review Criteria

Regulatory Basis

Use the ASAP Program

Manage ASAP

Just Culture Framework

Report Types

​ASAP Report Statuses

​Status Transitions

​MOU Requirements

​Event Review Committee (ERC)

​Standard ERC Composition

​ERC Review Criteria

​Regulatory Basis

​Related

Use the ASAP Program

Manage ASAP

Just Culture Framework

Report Types

ASAP Report Statuses

Status Transitions

MOU Requirements

Event Review Committee (ERC)

Standard ERC Composition

ERC Review Criteria

Regulatory Basis

Related