Dear Allen
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your email below where you made a request for information in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982.

The CAA received your request on 8 August and will endeavour to respond as soon as possible and in any event no later than 5 September 2019, being 20 working days after the day your request was received.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, please do not hesitate to contact me by email [CAA request email] or by telephone (04) 560 9472 referencing 20/OIR/069.

Kind regards

Michelle van Straalen | Official Information and Privacy Officer
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Aviation Security Service
Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi

Legal Services

+64 (0)4 560 9472 | ext 4472 [email address]
Level 15, Asteron Centre, 55 Featherston Street, PO Box 3555, Wellington, 6011 New Zealand
 Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

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Dear Mr Reynolds

We refer to your requests dated 8 August 2019 requesting information about all reported incidents and accidents involving remotely piloted aircraft during the period 1 January 2018 to 31 July 2019.

Decision

Please find information attached.

Please note that personal information of people reporting or submitting RPAS occurrences has been withheld in accordance with section 9 (2)(a) of the Official Information Act (the Act). We considered if there was public interest in the release names, phone numbers and home addresses of submitters but in our view the privacy of individuals should be preserved.

We are also withholding information about aircraft involved in accordance to the grounds of section 9(2)(ba)(i) of the Act. This information is being withheld to prevent prejudice to the future reporting of occurrences which is mandatory under the Civil Aviation Act 1990. The CAA needs to maintain a positive relationship with participants so they continue to report occurrences in good faith. Disclosing information which would allow participants to be identified may reduce full and accurate reporting of occurrences. Full and accurate reporting by participants allows for effective regulation by the CAA.

Also parts of your request are being refused pursuant to section 18(f) of the Act. This is because responding in full to your request will require substantial manual collation and research. The CAA does not always enter information in the occurrence record in respect of the aircraft details of other aircraft involved, other agencies involved or the final outcomes (i.e. prosecution, issue of warning letter, fine, inability to contact operator etc) for RPAS occurrences. In order to collate that information each individual record would need to be opened and assessed and cross-referenced with other records such as enforcement, aviation related concern, or safety investigation records. The CAA has considered whether extending or charging for this request would enable the entire of your request to be granted, but unfortunately this organisation does not have personnel to review and collate information pertaining over 750 occurrences.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact the writer.

Kind regards

Diana Johnson
Solicitor
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand | Aviation Security Service Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi Level 15 | Asteron Centre | 55 Featherston Street | PO Box 3555 | Wellington | 6011
(DDI) +64 (4) 560 9450 |

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission is confidential, may be privileged and should be read or retained only by the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete it from your system.

Diana Johnson
Solicitor
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand | Aviation Security Service
Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Level 15 | Asteron Centre | 55 Featherston Street | PO Box 3555 | Wellington | 6011
(DDI) +64 (4) 560 9450 |

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission is confidential, may be privileged and should be read or retained only by the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete it from your system.

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