Welcome To The New Service Difficulty Reporting System!
By Jennifer Caron, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine
We have some exciting news! Phase I of the new Service Difficulty Reporting System (SDR) is complete and launched this past November at av-info.faa.gov/sdrx. SDR is refreshed, updated, personalized, and packed with new features that take the power of this aviation reporting system to an entirely new level.
Improved Navigation
Now you can find everything you need — right there on the navigation bar. Click the tabs to reach your links quickly and easily.
New Reporting Tools
In just one click, general aviation users can now create a Malfunction or Defect Report straight from the home screen and search and find all processed reports faster.
New Quick Reference Panels
Instantly jump to information using the Quick Reference Panels on the left-hand side.
Updated References and Resources
Questions? Click “FAQs” to find answers. Click “What’s New?” for updates. Rules and regulations are on the right side of the screen.
The Best Is Still To Come!
Now you have a powerful new tool to let the aviation community know when you see something that could potentially cause a safety hazard. If a system component or a part has malfunctioned, report it. If there’s a flaw or an imperfection, report that too. We need your input. Check out the new SDR and take it for a flight.
The data you provide improves safety. The FAA uses your data to identify equipment malfunctions, and your reports also help manufacturers catch issues that could potentially cause a safety hazard.
“These reports provide valuable safety information and may be the first indication of a potential safety problem or a defect,” says Gracie Robino, Business Program Manager in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service. “They help us spot the trends and identify problems early so that we can create airworthiness directives, service bulletins, and alerts to mitigate the safety hazard proactively,” she explains.
The next phase of updates and new features will roll out this spring. New tools will prompt you to fill in the gaps and details to help you build a detailed, comprehensive, and format-friendly document to expedite the processing of your report.
“We’ve received positive feedback from our initial updates,” says Robino, “and we’re excited about this next phase as we continue to revamp the system, making it even more user-friendly and responsive to your needs.”
Jennifer Caron is FAA Safety Briefing’s copy editor and quality assurance lead. She is a certified technical writer-editor in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service.
