Hazard Notifications

Hazard notifications are the formal mechanism for communicating identified safety hazards to interfacing organizations. Required by 14 CFR 5.57, this process ensures that certificate holders, manufacturers, service providers, and other parties who share risk exposure are made aware of hazards that may affect their operations. Every notification is tracked from initial dispatch through response and closure, maintaining a complete audit trail for regulatory compliance.

Regulatory Basis

Regulation	Requirement
14 CFR 5.57	Certificate holders must provide notification of hazards to other certificate holders, the FAA, and other organizations as necessary.
14 CFR 5.53	System analysis and hazard identification — the source data for notifications.
14 CFR 5.97	SMS records — notification records must be retained as part of the SMS documentation.
AC 120-92D	Advisory guidance on inter-organizational hazard communication.

Who Must Be Notified

The regulation requires notification to any organization that interfaces with your operations and may be affected by the identified hazard. Common notification recipients include:

Party Type	API Value	Description	Examples
Certificate Holder	`certificate_holder`	Other Part 119/135/121 operators who share the same operational environment.	Partner operators, code-share operators, operators at shared airports.
Manufacturer	`manufacturer`	Aircraft or component manufacturers whose products are affected by the hazard.	Airframe OEMs, engine manufacturers, avionics vendors.
Service Provider	`service_provider`	Third-party providers whose services interface with your operations.	FBOs, ground handling companies, maintenance repair organizations (MROs), fuel suppliers.
Regulator	`regulator`	FAA or other regulatory authorities requiring notification.	FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), NTSB (for specific event types).
Other	`other`	Any other organization affected by the hazard.	Airport authorities, ATC facilities, training providers.

Notification Methods

Method	API Value	Description
Email	`email`	Electronic mail with documented delivery confirmation.
Letter	`letter`	Formal written correspondence (physical mail).
Phone	`phone`	Verbal notification with documented follow-up confirmation.
In Person	`in_person`	Face-to-face communication with documented summary.
Electronic System	`electronic_system`	Notification through an industry reporting system (e.g., ASRS, SDRS).
Other	`other`	Any other documented communication method.

Email and electronic system notifications provide the best audit trail because delivery confirmation is automatic. If you use phone or in-person methods, document the conversation summary and send a written follow-up.

Notification Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
`hazard_id`	Reference	Yes	Link to the risk assessment record that identified the hazard.
`notified_party`	String	Yes	Name of the organization or individual being notified.
`notified_party_type`	Enum	No	Classification of the recipient (see party types above).
`contact_name`	String	No	Point of contact at the notified organization.
`contact_email`	String	No	Email address for the contact.
`contact_phone`	String	No	Phone number for the contact.
`notification_date`	Date	Yes	Date the notification was sent.
`notification_method`	Enum	Yes	How the notification was delivered (see methods above).
`notification_reference`	String	No	External reference number (e.g., letter tracking number, email message ID).
`notification_summary`	Text	Yes	Summary of the hazard information communicated.
`status`	Enum	Auto	Current status in the notification lifecycle.
`response_received`	Boolean	Auto	Whether a response has been received from the notified party.
`response_date`	Date	No	Date the response was received.
`response_summary`	Text	No	Summary of the response content.
`response_action_required`	Boolean	No	Whether the response indicates additional action is needed.
`linked_cpa_id`	Reference	No	Link to a CPA created as a result of the notification or response.
`notes`	Text	No	Internal notes about the notification.
`attachment_keys`	Array	No	File attachments supporting the notification.

Notification Statuses

Status	API Value	Description
Draft	`draft`	Notification prepared but not yet sent. Under review or awaiting approval.
Sent	`sent`	Notification dispatched to the recipient. Awaiting acknowledgment.
Acknowledged	`acknowledged`	Recipient has confirmed receipt of the notification.
Response Received	`response_received`	Recipient has provided a substantive response to the hazard notification.
Closed	`closed`	Notification lifecycle complete. All responses received and any required follow-up actions are tracked.

Status Lifecycle

Response Tracking

When a response is received from the notified party, the notification record captures:

Field	Description
Response date	When the response was received.
Response summary	What the notified party communicated.
Action required	Whether the response requires your organization to take additional action (e.g., implement a service bulletin, modify a procedure).
Linked CPA	If the response results in a corrective or preventive action, the CPA is linked for traceability.

If a notified party’s response indicates that additional risk controls are needed, create a CPA to track implementation. Untracked response actions are a common finding during FAA surveillance.

Audit Trail

Every change to a hazard notification is recorded in the hazard notification audit table:

Field	Description
`action`	The type of change: `create`, `update`, or `delete`.
`field_changed`	Which field was modified.
`old_value`	The previous value.
`new_value`	The new value.
`changed_by`	The user who made the change.
`changed_at`	Timestamp of the change (UTC).
`reason`	Optional reason for the change.

This audit trail satisfies 14 CFR 5.97 recordkeeping requirements and provides evidence of notification activity during FAA surveillance.

Regulatory Alignment

Part 5 Section	Requirement	Notification Component
5.57	Notification of interfacing organizations	Party types, methods, response tracking.
5.53	System analysis and hazard identification	Linked hazard/risk assessment record.
5.55	Safety risk assessment and control	Linked CPAs for response actions.
5.97	SMS records	Audit trail and notification records retention.

Hazard Register

Central repository for identified hazards that trigger notifications.

Conduct a Risk Assessment

How hazards are identified and assessed before notification.

CPA Lifecycle

Tracking actions that result from notification responses.

Track Compliance

How notification records contribute to Part 5 compliance.

SMS Reference

SmartScore

Operations Reference

FBO Reference

Maintenance Reference

Operational Reports

Portal Reference

Platform Reference

API Reference

Regulatory Basis

Who Must Be Notified

Notification Methods

Notification Fields

Notification Statuses

Status Lifecycle

Response Tracking

Audit Trail

Regulatory Alignment

Hazard Register

Conduct a Risk Assessment

CPA Lifecycle

Track Compliance

​Regulatory Basis

​Who Must Be Notified

​Notification Methods

​Notification Fields

​Notification Statuses

​Status Lifecycle

​Response Tracking

​Audit Trail

​Regulatory Alignment

​Related

Hazard Register

Conduct a Risk Assessment

CPA Lifecycle

Track Compliance

Regulatory Basis

Who Must Be Notified

Notification Methods

Notification Fields

Notification Statuses

Status Lifecycle

Response Tracking

Audit Trail

Regulatory Alignment

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