(a) The NTSB's Chief, Records Management Division, is responsible for the custody and control of all NTSB records required to be preserved under the Federal Records Act, 44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33.
(b) The NTSB's FOIA Officer shall be responsible for the initial determination of whether to release records within the 20-working-day time limit, or the extension specified in the Freedom of Information Act.
(c) The NTSB's Chief, Records Management Division, shall:
(1) Maintain for public access and commercial reproduction all accident files containing aviation and surface investigators' reports, factual accident reports or group chairman reports, documentation and accident correspondence files, transcripts of public hearings, if any, and exhibits; and
(2) Maintain a public reference room, also known as a ``Reading Room,'' in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2). The NTSB's public reference room is located at 490 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC. Other records may be available in the NTSB's Electronic Reading Room, which is located on the NTSB's Web site, found at http://www.ntsb.gov.
(d) Requests for documents must be made in writing to: National Transportation Safety Board, Attention: FOIA Officer CIO-40, 490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20594-2000. All requests:
(1) Must reasonably identify the record requested. For requests regarding an investigation of a particular accident, requesters should include the date and location of the accident, as well as the NTSB investigation number. In response to broad requests for records regarding a particular investigation, the FOIA Office will notify the requester of the existence of a public docket, and state that other non-docket items may be available, or may become available, at a later date. After receiving this letter and reviewing the items in the public docket, requesters should notify the FOIA office if the items contained in the public docket suffice to fulfill their request.
(2) Must be accompanied by the fee or agreement (if any) to pay the reproduction costs shown in the fee schedule at Sec. 801.60 of this title, and
(3) Must contain the name, address, and telephone number of the person making the request. Requesters must update their address and telephone number in writing should this information change.
(e) The envelope in which the requester submits the request should be marked prominently with the letters ``FOIA.'' If a request fails to include a citation to the FOIA, the NTSB FOIA Office will attempt to contact the requester immediately to rectify the omission and/or clarify the request. However, the 20-working-day time limit for processing shall not commence until the FOIA Office receives a complete request.
(f) The field offices of the NTSB shall not maintain, for public access, records maintained by the Chief, Records Management Division. Requests mailed to NTSB field offices will not satisfy the NTSB's requirements for submitting a FOIA request.
(g) The NTSB may work with a commercial reproduction firm to accommodate requests for reproduction of accident records from the public docket. The reproduction charges may be subject to change. The NTSB will update its FOIA Web site to reflect any such changes. Section 801.60 of this title contains a current fee schedule.
(h) The NTSB will not release records originally generated by other agencies or entities. Instead, the NTSB will refer such requests for other agencies' records to the appropriate agency, which will make a release determination upon receiving and processing the referred request.
(i) Where a requester seeks a record on behalf of another person, and the record contains that person's personal information protected by Exemption 6 of the FOIA (see section 801.56 of this title), the NTSB requires the requester to submit a notarized statement of consent from the person whose personal information is contained in the record, before the NTSB releases the record.
(j) In general, the NTSB will deny requests for records concerning a pending investigation, pursuant to appropriate exemptions under the FOIA. The FOIA Office will notify the requester of this denial, and will provide the requester with information regarding how the requester may receive information on the investigation once the investigation is complete. The NTSB discourages requesters from submitting multiple FOIA requests in a continuing effort to obtain records before an investigation is complete.