PJ2, I will put this reply on the forum as it seems that many people have little idea of how the reporting system works.
This is how the system works in the airline I work for but I am assured by other colleagues that this is the industry standard here in the UK.
The data from the Flight Data Monitoring Equipment is downloaded in different ways. The older systems record the data onto a disk or hard drive and this is then accessed by an Engineer either after every flight or a series of flights when the aircraft lands at a base. The most modern systems have a bank of mobile 'phones in the E&E bay which transmit the data after every flight.
The delivery point of all this data is an independent and specialist data analysis company or in-house department, generally run by ex pilots and engineers. These companies or departments are charged with analysing the received data. Bear in mind that there are often a hundred or more parameters being monitored continually during the flight. The system is generally started when oil pressure registers on the first engine started or 'brakes on/off'.
Class 1 events, such as a momentary overspeed in flight or taxiing at a few knots over the recommended speed or small deviations from the ILS will merely be registered and added to the huge mass of events already collected. No further action is taken.
Class 2 events will trigger an 'alarm' and be investigated. Class 2 events include such things as Terrain warnings, flight below MSA, TCAS events, attitude exceedances, Take off or landing configuration warnings, large deviations from the Glideslope or Localiser below certain heights and prolonged overspeeds, amongst many others.
This event is then communicated to the airline, to a small group of pilots, generally two or three, who are responsible for investigating, analysing and reporting the event to the management. It may be that the Localiser and G/Slope deviation was caused by the aircraft breaking off to do a circle to land and so no further action will be required. (Some of us do actually do 'circle to land' approaches!)
However, if the event merits further action then the Base Facilitator, a non management pilot, will be given the details and he will then contact the pilot concerned. If it is determined that the event is a one-off, momentary lapse in concentration leading to a mistake, then perhaps a brief visit to the sim or a line check or maybe even no further action will be taken. The management will not have any knowledge of the name of the pilot but will be made aware of the actual event.
There are events where management will be informed immediately, these will include hard GPWS warnings, landings with the wrong Flap setting or greatly excessive speed on touchdown. These events are considered near-accidents and need to be investigated thoroughly. Generally the pilots will be suspended until the results of the investigation are known.
If a pilot repeatedly triggers events and further investigation, training and instruction reveals that his attitude or ability or lack of knowledge is the cause then he will be told that he is under observation. After two or more further events then it may well be decided that further remedial action is fruitless and that the pilot will be sacked.
The data is not meant to be routinely used by management to monitor the behavior of pilots, nor should it be. Used correctly this system is a very effective and useful tool which has greatly enhanced flight safety in all the airlines that have a robust and well run structure in place to run their FLIDRAS/FOQA or whatever you want to call it.