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Submit Your First Safety Report

Safety reporting is the foundation of any Safety Management System. In this tutorial, you will submit your first safety report in PlaneConnection. You will learn what information is needed, how the form works, and what happens after you submit. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a submitted safety report with a tracking number you can use to follow its progress.
Who should do this tutorial? Everyone in your organization. Pilots, crew, dispatchers, maintenance staff, and management should all know how to submit safety reports. Effective safety reporting depends on participation from all personnel.

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Before you start

Make sure you have:
  • An active PlaneConnection account with access to the SMS module
  • Logged in to your workspace (see the Quickstart if you need help)

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Understanding non-punitive reporting

Before you submit your first report, it is important to understand that PlaneConnection is built around a non-punitive (just culture) reporting policy.
What is non-punitive reporting? Under FAA 14 CFR 5.21(a)(4), your organization must maintain a non-punitive safety reporting policy. This means employees can report safety concerns, hazards, and incidents without fear of disciplinary action — as long as the report is made in good faith and does not involve willful misconduct, gross negligence, or criminal activity.
PlaneConnection supports this policy with two privacy options:
  • Confidential reporting: Your identity is recorded but encrypted. Only authorized safety managers can access it, and only when necessary for investigation.
  • Anonymous reporting: No identifying information is attached to the report at all.
You can choose either option when submitting a report. Your organization’s safety policy determines the default.

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Submitting the report

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  • Make sure you are in the Safety module. Check the module switcher at the top of the sidebar — it should show “Safety.” If it shows “Operations,” click the switcher and select Safety Management System.
  • In the sidebar, click Reports.
  • On the Reports page, click the New Report button in the upper-right area of the page.
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    You are now on the safety report submission form.
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    Choose the report type
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    The first thing the form asks for is the report type. Select the type that best describes what you are reporting:
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    TypeWhen to use itHazardA condition or situation that could lead to an accident or incident. Example: oil slick on the ramp.IncidentSomething that happened and affected safety, but did not result in an accident. Example: a runway incursion.Near MissAn event where an accident almost happened but was avoided. Example: TCAS resolution advisory during approach.Audit FindingA deficiency discovered during an internal or external audit. Example: expired fire extinguisher in hangar.SuggestionA safety improvement idea. Example: proposal to add a checklist step for ground power connections.
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    Click the type that applies to your report.
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    Select a category
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    Choose the category that best fits the nature of the event or hazard. Categories help your safety team organize and analyze reports for trends. Common categories include:
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  • Flight Operations
  • Ground Operations
  • Maintenance
  • Weather
  • ATC
  • Human Factors
  • Aircraft Systems
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    If you are unsure which category to choose, pick the one that feels closest. Your safety team can reclassify it later during review.
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    Fill in the title and description
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    Title: Enter a clear, concise title that summarizes the event or hazard. The title must be between 10 and 200 characters.
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    Good titles are specific:
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  • “Bird strike on departure from KTEB Runway 24” (good)
  • “Safety issue” (too vague)
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    Description: Provide a detailed account of what happened (or what the hazard is). Include the who, what, when, where, and how. The description must be at least 50 characters and can be up to 10,000 characters.
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    Include details like:
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  • What were the conditions (weather, time of day, phase of flight)?
  • What actions were taken?
  • What was the outcome?
  • Were there any contributing factors?
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    The description editor supports rich text formatting — you can use bold, italic, bullet lists, and numbered lists to organize your account.
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    Set the date and location
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    Date of occurrence: Select the date and time when the event happened (or when you observed the hazard). This defaults to today, but you can change it to a past date.
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    Location: Optionally enter a location. This can be an airport identifier (e.g., KJFK), a city name, or a description of the location (e.g., “Hangar 3, north ramp”).
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    Add aircraft and flight details (optional)
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    If the report is related to a specific aircraft or flight, fill in:
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  • Aircraft tail number: The registration number of the aircraft involved (e.g., N12345).
  • Flight number: The flight number, if applicable.
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    These fields are optional, but filling them in helps your safety team link the report to operational data.
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    Assess the initial risk
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    The form asks you to provide an initial risk assessment using two dimensions:
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    Severity — How bad could the outcome be?
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    LevelLabelDescription1NegligibleNo injury, no damage2MinorSlight injury, slight damage3MajorSignificant injury, minor aircraft damage4HazardousSerious injury, major aircraft damage5CatastrophicMultiple fatalities, aircraft destroyed
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    Likelihood — How likely is this to happen (or happen again)?
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    LevelLabelDescriptionAImprobableAlmost inconceivableBRemoteVery unlikely but possibleCOccasionalUnlikely but may occurDProbableWill occur sometimesEFrequentLikely to occur often
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    Select one severity level and one likelihood level. The form will show you the resulting risk score on the 5x5 risk matrix.
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    This is your initial assessment. Your safety team may adjust the risk rating during their review. Do not spend too long deliberating — your best judgment is what matters here.
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    Choose your reporting identity
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    At the bottom of the form, decide how you want to be identified:
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  • Standard reporting: Your name is attached to the report. Your safety team can follow up with you directly.
  • Confidential: Your identity is recorded but encrypted. Only authorized safety managers can see who submitted the report.
  • Anonymous: No identifying information is stored. Your safety team cannot follow up with you, so include as much detail as possible in the description.
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    Standard reporting is recommended when possible. It allows your safety team to ask clarifying questions, which leads to better investigations and outcomes. Confidential reporting is a good middle ground if you have concerns about identification.
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    Review and submit
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    Before submitting, scroll through the form and review your entries:
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  • Is the type correct?
  • Is the title clear and specific?
  • Does the description include enough detail?
  • Is the date accurate?
  • Is the risk assessment reasonable?
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    When you are satisfied, click the Submit Report button.
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    Once submitted, a report cannot be deleted by the reporter. This is by design — safety reports become part of your organization’s safety record. You can request edits through your safety manager.
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    Get your tracking number
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    After submission, you will see a confirmation screen with:
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  • Your report number in the format RPT-YYYY-NNNNN (e.g., RPT-2026-00042)
  • A QR code you can save or screenshot for quick access to your report’s status page
  • A confirmation that an email notification has been sent to you (if you submitted with standard or confidential identity)
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    Save your report number. You can use it to track the status of your report at any time by navigating to Reports > Track Report in the sidebar.

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    What happens next

    After you submit a report, the following process begins:
    1. Your safety team is notified. Safety managers receive a notification about the new report.
    2. Initial review. A safety manager reviews the report, verifies the information, and may adjust the risk rating.
    3. Triage. The report is classified and prioritized. High-risk reports may trigger an immediate investigation.
    4. Investigation (if needed). Reports that warrant deeper analysis are escalated to a formal investigation.
    5. Corrective action. If the investigation identifies systemic issues, Corrective and Preventive Actions (CPAs) are created and tracked to completion.
    You can check the status of your report at any time from the Reports page.

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    Next steps

    Run Your First Investigation

    Learn how safety managers investigate reports and document findings.

    Conduct Your First Risk Assessment

    Learn how to perform a formal risk assessment using the 5x5 matrix.