Submit a Report

Send railroad safety reports to NASA C3RS via our secure electronic report submission or by mail.

Submit Electronically via Electronic Report Submission (ERS)

Submitting electronically is the fastest and preferred method to report to C3RS. Choose the form for your craft. See the FAQs below for more information about submitting.

Submit Transportation Report Form

e.g. Conductor, Dispatcher, Engineer

Submit Mechanical Report Form

e.g. Carman, Laborer, Machinist, Electrician

Submit Engineering Report Form

e.g. Signal Maintainer, Track Inspector, Track Supervisor

How to Report Electronically

  • Once you have filled out the electronic form, you may wish to print a copy for your records. You must print it BEFORE clicking Submit.
  • After you click the Submit button, a computer-generated verification code will appear to indicate your report has been securely transmitted to NASA C3RS.

Note: NASA C3RS cannot accept reports through e-mail or fax due to security concerns. If you are having difficulty submitting electronically, you may want to download, print and mail the report form assuring a timely postmark date. (Please see your company’s IMOU for reporting deadlines).

Fill out (PDF) & Print for US Mail

The C3RS Report Forms can also be mailed to C3RS by US Mail. They are provided here as interactive (fillable) PDF documents that you may fill out, print, and mail to C3RS using your own stamp. Select the form for your craft, fill it out, and mail your completed form to:

NASA Confidential Close Call Reporting System
P.O. Box 177
Moffett Field, California
94035-0177
get_appTransportation Report Form for US mail [PDF]
get_appMechanical Report Form for US mail [PDF]
get_appEngineering Report Form for US mail [PDF]

About the C3RS Report Form

Please fill out all sections of the appropriate form (Transportation, Mechanical, and Engineering) as completely and accurately as possible based on your craft. For tips for how to report, see our Tips for Excellent Reporting brochure. Each of the NASA C3RS report forms consist of three parts:

get_appC3RS Tips for Excellent Reporting [PDF]
About ID Strip Image

Return Receipt (ID Strip)

NASA may use the contact information in the Return Receipt (ID Strip) to get in touch with you if additional information about the event is needed. The ID Strip will be mailed (via USPS) to you as proof that your report has been processed. NASA does not retain any personal information provided on the ID Strip. You may need to show the ID Strip to your company if requested, so keep it in a safe location.

About General Information Image

General Information

These three areas of the C3RS form will ask for background information about your position, experience and general event characteristics such as location, weather, and train information.

About Narrative Image

Narrative

This is a section for explaining what happened in your own words and any safety lessons you may have learned from the experience. Provide enough details to answer: WHO was involved, WHAT was the event, WHERE did it occur, WHEN did it occur, WHY do you think it happened and HOW could this event be prevented in the future.

FAQs for Submitting Electronically

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  • NASA has worked to ensure your report is handled securely. NASA’s security features include encryption of your report form during data transmission and storage, and multiple layers of firewalls and security devices.
  • You must also take steps to ensure the security of your personal computer prior to report submission in order to protect your confidentiality. To improve internet security, we recommend that you scan your computer for the presence of computer viruses, keystroke monitoring, malware, spyware, and adware programs using trusted software tools.
  • Make sure your JavaScript is enabled in your browser to enable the full features of the form. (You can search online for instructions to enable JavaScript for your specific browser and version number). Be sure to restart your browser after changing your settings. Please use the C3RS compatibility-tested browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. The forms work best on an updated and current browser.
  • It is recommended that you use "private browsing" if your browser supports it, as it improves the chances that your personal information will not be saved to the computer. At minimum, we recommend you exit completely out of your browser after submitting a report.

It is not advisable to submit reports through a corporate computer. Corporations may have firewall and security settings on their computers which may include keystroke monitoring or which may block outgoing transmissions. We recommend that you use your own personal computer or mobile device for report submissions.

If you must use a company computer, the NASA C3RS team suggests that you do not save your completed report to a shared (e.g. company) computer.

NASA C3RS has developed three report forms: Transportation, Mechanical, and Engineering, which are tailored to specific employee crafts. You should use the form that pertains to the craft you are working in. Even if you encounter a safety issue that involves a track or engineering issue as a transportation employee, you should fill out the Transportation form.

Prior to submitting, you may wish to print a copy for your records. You must print BEFORE clicking Submit.

After you click the Submit button, you will receive a Thank You pop up page that includes:

  • Date and Time of submission
  • Computer-generated verification / receipt code – confirming report was transmitted
  • Explanation of next steps in C3RS report form processing

This Thank You page, along with its verification / receipt code, is your indication that your report has been securely transmitted to NASA C3RS.

The Thank You page is NOT your Identification Strip (ID Strip). The ID Strip is what you would present to your management, if requested. The ID strip will be mailed back to you by US Mail at the address you provide in the report you submitted.

You may select “Print Page” to print the Thank You page (with receipt code) or create a screenshot to retain the receipt code for your records, but this is not what you would present to management for proof of submission if needed. This code is simply the one-time indication that the transmission was successful and is not connected to your report when it is processed at NASA C3RS. If you do not receive a verification code on the Thank You page, try the following:

  • Ensure your web browser settings were properly enabled (as described in FAQ #1).
  • Make sure your internet connection is active. To test, open another web page and bring up your home page, then click to refresh the page. If your connection is down, please try again at another time.
  • Make sure your firewall is not preventing outbound traffic for this application. Most firewalls will ask you to allow / disallow the activity when you click submit.

If you receive an Error Page after you hit submit, you will need to resubmit your report (it is not saved or cached to protect your confidentiality). If the issue cannot be resolved, please contact C3RS.

NASA C3RS will date stamp and return an identification strip (ID Strip) from the top of your report by U.S. Mail. Retain the identification strip as this is your proof that your report has been processed and is what is presented to your carrier if requested. During the analysis process, a NASA rail safety analyst may contact you to clarify or obtain additional information prior to returning the ID Strip..

The Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) is a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), in conjunction with participating railroad carriers and labor organizations.