G/TBT/N/USA/1732  
26 May 2021  
(21-4375) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) [1763]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indic ated if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other  [X]:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Unmanned 
aircraft accident; Accident and disaster control (ICS 13.200), Aircraft and space vehicles 
in general (IC S 49.020)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Amendment to 
the Definition of Unmanned Aircraft Accident (2 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking - The National Transportation 
Safety Board (NTSB) proposes amending the definition of "Unmanned aircraft accident" 
by removing the weight -based requirement and replacing it with an airworthiness 
certificate or airworthiness approval requirement. The weight threshold is no longer an 
appropriat e criterion because unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) under 300 lbs. are 
operating in high -risk environments, such as beyond line -of-sight and overpopulated 
areas. The proposed definition will allow the NTSB to be notified of and quickly respond 
to UAS event s with safety significance.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety  
8. Relevant documents:   
86 Federal Register (FR) 27550, 21 May 2021; Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 830:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-05-21/html/2021 -09807.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-05-21/pdf/2021 -09807.pdf  
 
This notice of proposed rulemaking is identified by Docket Number NTSB -2021-0004. 
The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NTSB -2021-0004/document  and provides access to 
primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members and their stakeholders 
are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point . Comments received by 
the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and their stakeholders will be shared G/TBT/N/USA/1732  
 
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  with the regulator and will also be submitted to the Docket  on Regulations.gov if 
received  within the comment period.  
G/TBT/N/USA/1571 and G/TBT/N/USA/1571/Add.1  - Type Certification of Unmanned 
Aircraft Systems  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  20 July 2021  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/TBT/USA/21_3664_00_e.pdf