Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection

Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes

the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and

burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on the following collections of information was

published in 62 FR 52180, October 6, 1997.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 12, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline

Information, K-25, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

Title: Domestic Cargo Transportation--Part 291.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information

collection.

OMB Control Number: 2138-0023.

Affected Public: Certificated domestic all-cargo carriers.

Abstract: The Department of Transportation requires air carriers

holding section 418 certificates, that do not submit Form 41 reports,

to file Form 291-A, ``Statement of Operations and Statistics Summary

for Section 418 Operations'' pursuant to 14 CFR 291.42. This form is

used to monitor air-cargo activity carried on strictly all-cargo

flights.

Needs and Uses: Form 291-A financial data are reviewed in

connection with an air carrier's operations when concerns arise as to a

carrier's financial condition as evidenced by reported losses and

delinquency in payments to creditors. Data comparisons are made between

current and past periods in order to assess the current financial

positions. Financial trend lines are extended into the future to

evaluate the continued viability of the carrier. When an all-cargo

carrier wishes to extend its operation to passenger service, the

carrier's prior Form 291-A filings are examined as a source document to

help determine the carrier's financial condition. FAA's Safety

Indicators Division is developing an integrated approach to exposure

data (Form 291-A is a part of this data) in the aviation industry to

support the Safety Indicators Program. FAA's National Safety Data

Center is currently using Form 291-A in compiling annual year end

flight hours, miles flown, and departures. Also, these activity data

are used by the National Transportation Safety Board in determining the

airline industry's annual safety indexes. Commercial all-cargo activity

data are used by the FAA in estimating the excise tax paid by shoppers

and held by the all-cargo air carriers. Although a precise tax figure

cannot be computed from the Form 291-A reports (because some cargo

movements are exempted from the excise tax), an estimation is possible

for revenue budgeting purposes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 8 hours.

Number of Respondents: 2.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, within 30 days, to the Office of Information

and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. Comments

are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the

Department, including whether the information will have practical

utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the

proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility

and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize

the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including

the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 6, 1998.

Vanester M. Williams,

Clearance Officer, Department of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98-758 Filed 1-12-98; 8:45 am]

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