[Peetwo]

Another for the Dr A CV legacy record -   

4+ year historical record of the Josh Hoch case:

Update: Via Brissie Times
And posthumously from one of the last of the true tendentious bloggers Ben Sandilands (may he RIP -   ): 

Shades of tendentious blogging - revisited. 

Ben S followed up his report yesterday with this excellent and historically relevant piece today :

Rogue pilot revelations show CASA tolerated his activities for years
Ben Sandilands Jan 26, 2017

Details of the rogue pilot police operation reflect very poorly on air safety regulator CASA

CASA has given information to the Townsville Bulletin about the rogue bush pilot Josh Hoch which confirms its utter contempt for the safety of the flying public and its inability to effectively regulate air safety in Australia.

A Queensland police investigation has this week led to Hoch being charged on 342 counts concerning 14 alleged offences involving among other matters the claimed sabotaging of aircraft flown by rival general aviation or small regional operations out of Mt Isa airport.

Two of the aircraft Hoch allegedly tampered with by putting plastic beads and other contaminants into their fuel talks had crash landed without loss of life.

Three aircraft are alleged to have been interfered with, risking potential loss of life, on four separate occasions by Hoch in 2016 alone.

Hoch has also been reportedly charged over several alleged cases of insurance fraud involving aircraft.

However in the Townsville Bulletin story, a CASA spokesperson confirms that the safety regulator knew about claims about Hoch’s activities since 2013, and had worked closely with the police investigation since last October.

What happened in relation to Hoch’s activities between 2013, or possibly ever further back, and a very large police operation toward the end of last year, has yet to be laid out for public scrutiny.

But Plane Talking has a copy of a CASA document showing that Hoch and his company didn’t receive a charter approval and air operator certificate until December 8 last year, by which time the safety regulator on its own admission had participated in the police inquiries for two months.

If as this implies Hoch’s operations were unlicensed and unapproved by CASA for all or part of the time they were taking place up until December 8 last year the safety regulator is in obvious and quite possibly criminally negligent breaches of a number of acts.

How CASA could claim to have conducted a satisfactory audit of Hoch’s operations given the brief published by Queensland police and extensively reported in the Townsville Bulletin is a vitally important question.

CASA is on its record an organisation totally indifferent to the blood on its hands from recent blatant failures to carry out it duties. It doesn’t recognise its guilt or its incompetence, and it has made fools of the aviation ministers responsible for its activities for at least as far back as the Seaview disaster of 1994.

The safety regulator also knew of the lethal potential of the operation and principal operative of Transair long before it flew a small turboprop into a hillside when attempting to land at Lockhart River in 2005, killing all 15 people on board.

CASA failed to act on the unfavourable results of an audit of the operations of the Pel-Air fleet of Westwind corporate jets before one of them ditched in stormy seas off Norfolk Island in 2009. It subsequently attempted to suppress that audit with the co-operation of the ATSB, the accident investigator, but was found out by a highly critical all party Senate committee hearing into what remains an unfinished saga. The ATSB was forced to withdraw its first accident report into the Pel-Air crash, which was a shamefully inadequate investigation, and its new inquiry, which was supposed to report more than a year ago, is understood to have run into a number of ‘difficulties’.

The actions of CASA in relation to a pilot who may have been unlicensed for the purposes of his operations for a prolonged period of activity during which police allege he could have killed the occupants of planes which he had sabotaged require very close scrutiny by the Minister for Infrastructure, Darren Chester.

Not scrutiny passed off to his discredited civil servants who have apparently talked nonsense to him since he took up the portfolio last year.  Real scrutiny, by the Minister, of the performance of what many see as a rogue organisation that has a culture of tolerating known unsafe operations.

Will the Hoch scandal be a turning point in the restoration of effective air safety regulation in Australia, or is it just another ‘nothing-to-see-here-media-beatup’ along a pathway to future catastrophe?

Plus:

Update 27/01/2017: Via the Oz

CASA under fire for issuing licence to pilot under probe



Josh Hoch, right and on a Hoch Air plane, above left, has been charged with 340 offences of endangering public safety. Picture: Wesley Monts

Josh Hoch on Hoch Air charter plane. Picture: Facebook.

The Australian
12:00AM January 27, 2017
Paul Cleary
Senior writer

The charter operator charged with 340 offences of endangering public safety was issued with a CASA operator’s licence as recently as last month, prompting leading figures to attack the regulator for incompetence and dysfunction.

CASA records show the regulator issued Hoch Air with an Air Operators Certificate on December 8, even though CASA had been co-operating with the Queensland Police investigation for two months. The AOC is valid for four years.

Queensland Police charged the principal and pilot Josh Hoch, 31, this week with offences that include five counts of tampering with competitors’ fuel. Police allege that Mr Hoch added an “abrasive material directly into engines” which caused a catastrophic failure and forced the landing of two aircraft. Engine failure occurred to two other planes prior to take-off.

Kennedy MP Bob Katter allegedly spent $257,000 on charter flights with Hoch Air although Mr Hoch was unlicensed at the time. Mr Katter’s office declined to comment. CASA’s licensing of Hoch Air appears to be inconsistent with the Queensland Police statement, which says that a “review of aircraft security and passenger safety at Mount Isa Airport was immediately commenced” as part of the investigation launched in October. “Additional measures were implemented to further ensure the safety of passengers and crews,” the police added.

A CASA spokeswoman said the regulator was “actively reviewing information arising out of the Queensland Police investigation and will take such further action as necessary”. CASA could not comment further.

Police asked the Mount Isa Court to refuse bail, but the magistrate granted it. However, Mr Hoch’s family was unable to raise the $50,000 bond by Wednesday afternoon and as a result he spent a second night in the Mount Isa watch-house.

Mr Hoch’s defence lawyer, ­Michael Spearman, blasted CASA, telling the Mount Isa court:

“CASA has known about these flights since 2013. Now if CASA had any concern about a pilot it can invoke provisions of section 30DC of the Civil Aviation Act, instantly grounding a pilot if there is a serious and imminent risk to air safety.

“CASA has not done so, despite knowing of the allegations for months. These started back in October (2016) and certainly those charges from back in 2013,” the Townsville Bulletin reported.

Mr Spearman added that CASA had conducted an audit of Mr Hoch and his company earlier last year, yet he was allowed to remain in the air.

Ben Morgan, executive director at Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, said the incident showed CASA was far too focused on “misdemeanours” while allowing serious wrongdoing to go unchecked.

“If in fact CASA were not aware this is absolutely serious and it’s going to need the minister’s attention to work out how the regulator let this slip through the cracks,” he said.

“CASA is in court with misdemeanour pilot activities when something as brazen as this has been going on for four years.”

Former CASA chairman Dick Smith said the regulator was a “totally dysfunctional organisation”. He said he had tried to introduce an “administrative fines system” that would replace the system of continuously writing letters to non-compliers.

The investigation also uncovered extraordinary evidence relating to the alleged grievous bodily harm of an aircraft engineer at Charters Towers in July 2014. The engineer, aged in his 60s, sustained “permanent and life-changing head injuries”, the police statement said.

Now fast fwd to this:

North Queensland man's charges of interfering with planes, sabotage of planes dropped in Supreme Court

ABC North West Qld /
By Kelly Butterworth
Posted Monday 8 March 2021 at 2:51pm



Josh Hoch was originally charged with more than 300 charges in 2017. Plane tampering charges were dropped in a Supreme Court sitting in Mount Isa.(ABC North West Queensland: Kelly Butterworth)

A North Queensland pilot accused of tampering with his rivals' fuel tanks has had charges of interfering with planes and associated sabotage of planes dropped in a Supreme Court sitting in Mount Isa.

Key points:

• Charges against former pilot Josh Hoch of tampering with the fuel tanks of a plane have been dropped in court
  
  
• The jury was dismissed after one week of a trial expected to last for three
  
  
• The prosecution dropped the case as it was officially concluded there was not sufficient evidence to prove it was Josh Hoch who had committed the alleged acts
  

Today Justice James Henry dismissed the jury after one week of the trial, which was expected to last three weeks.

Justice Henry told the jury in the first five minutes of today's sitting that the Crown would not continue to prosecute the charges relating to interfering with planes and associated sabotage.

"The short version is the case has been dropped," Justice Henry said.

He told the jury that because they had been sitting on the case for a week, he would explain the particulars of the change.

Three 'critical layers' in case

Justice Henry outlined three "critical layers" of the case which the jury had been tasked to decide upon.

The first was if the contaminants in the fuel tanks had been there as the result of human intervention, the second was if it was done as a deliberate act of sabotage, and the third was if it had been Josh Hoch who had committed the alleged acts.

Mr Henry said it was the third that "was always the prosecution's real challenge" and that they also had to prove motive, opportunity and that he had knowledge that only the offender would know.

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, the prosecution put up the white flag and has dropped the case," Justice Henry said.

"It has been officially concluded, it was not sufficient to pursue a case."

Mr Hoch has further charges proceeding in the District and Magistrates courts.

---

Which then led to this in Senate Estimates: Ref - Hansard out

Hmm...still trying to get my head around this -  

CHAIR: I've got a couple of questions about a case that's just been completed in the Supreme Court but held in Mount Isa. Judge Henry said that he'd dismissed the jury—this is the Josh Hoch case—telling them that the case had been dropped. He said, 'Evidence linking Mr Hoch to the alleged crimes was lacking,' and he 'officially concluded it was not sufficient to pursue a case'. That is a case that was scheduled to go for three weeks and went for three days. After a 120,000-page brief of evidence, they didn't have enough evidence to get past three days. I understand that the police have been collecting evidence for CASA's trial against Mr Hoch. How is your confidence, in your case, now that it has just been thrown out after such a short amount of time and the judge was scathing in his comments?

A 120k brief of evidence - UFB! I can't even imagine what that looks like but I can imagine the Judge's incredulity when faced with such a mountain of paper. Is it any wonder the case was chucked out -  

However note the comments in bold from two of the most senior members of the current crop of self-serving, self-preserving, fat cat executives at CASA...  

 CHAIR: Alright. There is an interesting question—I guess this is potentially more for the police, but it applies to CASA as well—about what it costs you to collect this evidence for a prosecutor to take forward. Do you feel that the amount of time and effort you are taking to pursue some of these cases is reasonable and that the outcomes are reasonable?
Dr Aleck : By and large, yes, I do. Certainly in this case I do. Some very serious charges were laid, and some very serious issues were raised in this case.
CHAIR: For which it was found that he did not have a case to answer. The estimate is $300,000, at least.
Dr Aleck : That part I can't speak to, because we weren't involved in that, but that's one part of a much larger case. There are proceedings for Commonwealth and state offences as well.
CHAIR: But the Queensland police collected the evidence for both?
Dr Aleck : They were involved in much of it, but so were our investigators.
CHAIR: If you're satisfied, Dr Aleck, then we'll continue, but I just feel horrified for this person. After hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and a case that's been thrown out, I hope that you have good grounds for proceeding and that they are reasonable and fair. I think this is an Australian who has been treated poorly.
Dr Aleck : I'm hopeful and confident that the case that CASA was involved in won't be thrown out, but that remains to be seen.
Mr Crawford : We believe it is reasonable and fair.
CHAIR: You believe it is reasonable and fair?
Mr Crawford : Yes. That's our position at the moment.

And: https://auntypru.com/sbg-28-03-21-on-the...e-journey/



No idea how much this bungled case has cost so far but IMO you couldn't ask for a clearer example of legal and regulatory incompetence by CASA and why Dr Aleck (and his Iron Ring sycophants) need to be sent packing ASAP - 

MTF...P2 

[P7_TOM]

An example: pristine and perfect.

P2 - “No idea how much this bungled case has cost so far but IMO you couldn't ask for a clearer example of legal and regulatory incompetence by CASA and why Dr Aleck (and his Iron Ring sycophants) need to be sent packing ASAP.”

CASA does have a piss poor record “in court”. They can bully, sway and bullshit the AAT lightweights – but when it comes to 'testing' the evidence they've dreamed up – 'Poof' it don't withstand the test. How many mugs have taken on CASA in the AAT – to save a few bucks? Then departed in tears?

Jurisprudence – despite the rumours – is alive and well. Want to make a case against – in court – well, its always better to have all the ducks in a row – lest you get your bottom smacked by a judge.

The first was if the contaminants in the fuel tanks had been there as the result of human intervention, the second was if it was done as a deliberate act of sabotage, and the third was if it had been Josh Hoch who had committed the alleged acts.


Mr Henry said it was the third that "was always the prosecution's real challenge" and that they also had to prove motive, opportunity and that he had knowledge that only the offender would know.

You do see the difference – in the AAT what CASA says is treated as gospel – in a court; they must prove it – beyond a reasonable doubt. They hardly ever can – no legal talent – just a reliance on the fact that “CASA say's so”. Bollocks...

Hoch is guilty? – fine – prove it. You see the 'law' is not what Aleck says it should be; but what a Judge 'knows' it to be–

Amateurs, they've done no time, don't know nothing, come on girl. (Holmes).

[Peetwo]

Binskin's latest Bored Biscuit - 

Via casa.gov.au :

Our Board meeting 23 June 2022

The Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) meets six times per calendar year to fulfil its obligations under Section 53 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 to decide the objectives, strategies and policies to be followed by CASA; to ensure that CASA performs its functions in a proper, efficient and effective manner.

The CASA Board continued with its interstate meetings, this time hosting its Board meeting in Brisbane on 23 June 2022. The timing of this meeting was planned to coincide with Rotortech 2022 (helicopter and unmanned flight exposition) and afforded the CASA Board members an opportunity to attend the Rotortech conference and meet with a number of industry participants. The Board also visited the new Headquarters of Angel Flight and met with their Board, and had a productive meeting with the Board members from Aviation Australia.

Prior to its meeting, the CASA Board also met with two industry representatives who discussed the significant issues facing General Aviation (GA) training organisations, in particular the importance of current initiatives around the Flight Examiner Rating Course (FERC) and Examiner Rating Proficiency Checks (EPC). This meeting was beneficial in helping shape the Board’s discussion of CASA’s GA Work plan. The industry representatives also provided their views on how CASA should adapt its approach to better support operations that are vital for a sustainable GA sector.

CASA Board meetings follow a theme-based agenda focusing on organisational matters and operational matters that affect the aviation industry. The organisational matters centre around CASA’s corporate governance, financial position, the status of major projects, cyber security issues, organisational culture, WH&S and workforce planning.

The meeting focused on the issues and risks relating to aviation safety in both an Australian and international context. The Board was briefed on accidents and incidents data and performance results against the national regulatory oversight program of work. The Board also discussed the proposed approach for industry surveillance coverage as we adapt to living with COVID.

Other key matters considered by the Board included:

• The medical applications backlog, and recent and future improvements to reduce application wait times
  
• The timeline and milestones in the GA Work-plan
  
• The road to recovery of the aviation operating environment as domestic and international travel numbers continue to increase
  
• The external performance audit that was undertaken by the Commonwealth Government’s auditors, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) that examined CASA’s Planning and Conduct of Surveillance Activities.
  

Outside the Board meeting, a strategy session was held with Board members and the CASA Executive team on 24 June. This session examined CASA’s strategic environment and discussed those strategic risks over which the CASA Board will maintain an active interest given the Board’s core responsibilities. Identification of CASA’s current strategic risks also identified some new and emerging risks. The strategic risks identified and refined during this discussion will be presented to the Board for formal consideration in August.

The next meeting of the CASA Board will be held in Canberra on 24 August 2022.

MTF...P2 

[Sandy Reith]

This Board is all talk and no action just as its predecessors.

Several examples come immediately to mind about the blazing obvious sham concerns of the Board.

It talks interminably about risk and strategy but does absolutely nothing to create reforms where the risk, or lack of risk, demand immediate action. For one, medical reform to a car driver standard. The Board talks about the delays in the CASA make work medical certification process but palms off the whole CASA self induced problem to the ‘Work Plan.’ Work? What a joke, the Work Plan is nothing more than an excuse to continue the salary factory’s exercise to bambozzle the politicians and maintain the money flow.

Mention is made of Angel Flight but no reforms pushed forward in spite of talk about assessing risk. In court it was made clear that CASA has little regard to actual risk in relation to CASA’s unjustified punitive actions against Angel Flight.

In addition if the Board had any sense of real duty it would by now have considered Glen Buckley’s case in light of its stated objective to create policy with regard to risk. Where was the risk evaluation of Glen Buckley’s logical approach to the GA training industry’s dilemma when CASA introduced its new and monumentally unsustainable rules of pointless complexity?

The Board is galavanting about the countryside with pretend concern at our expense.

The Board of CASA should be ashamed of itself for taking from the public purse for no good purpose.

[thorn bird]

All of which leads me to the conclusion Sandy that if there was no industry left at all, CASA and its board would quite happily continue on their merry way, churning out never ending reports, regulations and other bum fodder. Swanning around the countryside for never ending meetings racking up huge travel and per diem costs. Indeed they could hold raffles for who next gets to go to the latest international gabfest or ICAO appointment.

[Peetwo]

Creepy is back with a gig at Fort Fumble?? - 

Ref: https://www.casa.gov.au/resources-and-ed...tion-video

"..Former journalist Steve Creedy facilitates and asks the panel in-depth questions about the accident..."

Hmm...looks like Creepy has been feeding in the top paddock...

MTF...P2 

[Cap'n Wannabe]

Pilot accused of illegally chartering flights told wife 'it's only money, no one's been run over'



A north Queensland pilot accused of chartering flights for members of the Katter's Australia Party without a certificate to fly commercially told his wife "no one is going to jail ... we say 'alright we've been naughty boys'," a court has heard.

Josh Hoch is accused of setting up two companies that chartered flights across north-west Queensland, without the permits necessary to fly commercially.

The 36-year-old pleaded not guilty to 14 charges in the Queensland District Court in Townsville this week, including dishonestly gaining a benefit of more than $30,000 and performing a duty without authorisation between 2011 and 2015.

Personal phone calls intercepted by police during their investigation into Hoch's activities were played in court on Friday.

In one call, Hoch suggested he had earned over $500,000 chartering flights for Katter's Australia Party members.

That amount is understood to be an exaggeration and is not part of the charges against Hoch.

During a phone call to his wife played in court, Hoch was heard saying he thought it was "all over here … at the airport," allegedly in reference to his charter companies Hoch Air Pty Ltd and Flying Fitters Pty Ltd.

In the phone call, Hoch was heard saying he and his wife had lost at least $1 million in setting up the companies.

"It's only money, no one's been run over by a bus, no one is going to jail," Hoch was heard telling his wife in the call.

"We say 'alright we've been naughty boys'.'"

Hoch also suggested in several phone calls that staff working at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in Townsville knew he didn't have the correct licence, but turned a blind eye for "years".





"It's gone too big now," Mr Hoch said during a phone call played to the court.

"There's going to be a lot of people dragged down with us … like people inside CASA who knew we were operating.

"It was common knowledge."

Members of Traeger MP Robbie Katter's office gave evidence before the District Court in Townsville on Thursday, confirming they had engaged Mr Hoch's company for charter flights.

The Katter Party politicians are entitled to charter flight allowances to travel across their large rural electorates.

The trial continues.

Another for the Dr A CV legacy record  & An example: pristine and perfect.

[Peetwo]

Off to court for Su_Spence?? - 

Via the Oz:

Pilot’s widow Julie Black suing CASA for not enforcing Airworthiness Directive



Julie Black had no reason to worry when the text messages she was sending her husband changed from blue to green, as he flew towards raging bushfires.

David Black was a highly experienced, skilled and careful pilot who had been waterbombing for years.

He was the co-owner and chief pilot of their aerial crop spraying business, Rebel Ag, in Trangie, an hour northwest of Dubbo, with 9500 flying hours under his belt.

But in the minutes after their final exchange, something in the sky went catastrophically wrong.

The incident has since been the subject of investigations by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and a NSW Coroner, yet Julie says no one has been held accountable. Next month a NSW Supreme Court judge will decide exactly who – if anyone – is to blame and how to “right their wrongs” in a civil trial that could change aviation safety.

Last Message

Bushfires blazed along the south coast in the spring of 2013.

On Monday, October 21, David and Julie Black started diverting resources from their aviation business to waterbomb south of Sydney for the Rural Fire Service.

At lunchtime David called his wife to say he was heading to the city of Nowra to help. The 43-year-old performed three firebombing runs that afternoon and another six the next day.

When he phoned home on Wednesday night to talk to his wife and three kids, their youngest – seven-year-old Adelaide – proudly told him she’d lost a tooth.

So the next morning - Thursday October 24 - he called early, before school, to ask whether the tooth fairy had visited.

“He quickly spoke to the girls and when he spoke to me I said ‘I’m running late. I’ll give you a ring when I get into the office’,” Julie recalled.

Hours later, her business partner, husband and father of her three children was dead.

No answer

David took off in his PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader from Nowra air base at 9.40am on a firebombing mission about 62km to the southwest. Another firebombing aircraft and a support helicopter went with him.

Rebel Ag had nine aircraft out that day - spraying crops and water bombing - so shortly after her husband lost mobile phone service, Julie sat down at her desk and opened her tracking software to check their pilots’ locations. 

“And TracPlus was frozen, which was quite bizarre,” she said. “So then I logged on to the MyRFS and that was also frozen.
“And then I jumped over to Facebook and immediately saw a post from the RFS saying there had been an aircraft accident.”

Julie tried to call her husband but could not get through.

“I started contacting all my other pilots but no one knew anything,” she said. “So then I contacted the RFS state air desk but they were not able to give me any information. They were in a complete state of panic.”

Julie roll-called her pilots.

“Everyone sent a message back except for David Black.”

Body retrieved

It took hours for emergency services to retrieve David’s body from the wreckage on a heavily wooded ridge in an isolated and mountainous section of Budawang National Park, west of Ulladulla.

“I had to battle tooth and nail for them to get Dave’s body,” Julie said. “They were going to leave him there overnight.”

Julie’s brother flew her to Nowra but even once there, no one could confirm anything.

“I didn’t get told (it was his plane) until about 3.30pm,” she said.

That afternoon, as the news of her husband’s crash spread, the RFS commissioner, premier and even the prime minister called her.

“As the sun started setting, everyone wanted to go home,” she said. “I told them ‘no one gets to go home and have dinner with their wife and kids until we get my husband’. I was very adamant that he deserved better.”

Eventually, that evening, the navy deployed Sea King helicopters to winch down and retrieve her husband’s body.



“Since that day it’s just been one big long battle,” she said.

Testing questions

Initially the cause of the crash was a mystery.

“I couldn’t understand how or why he crashed?” Julie said.

In the following days, witnesses from that mission shared what they had seen.

David had been flying 30m above the tree line when the left wing of his aircraft suddenly folded upwards and tore off. The plane immediately rolled to the left before plummeting to an “unsurvivable impact”.

The ATSB’s final 104-page report, published in February 2016, found that the outboard left wing had separated at the centre-to-outboard lower wing attachment joint.

It was caused by a fracture in the left outboard wing lower-attachment lug.

The aircraft’s centre-to-outboard wing attachment fittings were last inspected on August 8, 2013, with no defects reported.

The ATSB determined that issues with the left wing were not detected during that inspection - 11 weeks before the crash - because an incorrect testing technique, an eddy current inspection method, had been used.

The eddy current inspection method was not approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

In late 2000 CASA had issued an airworthiness directive requiring inspections of Dromader wings to be conducted using the magnetic particle method.

“This (incorrect testing) exposed those aircraft to an inspection method that was potentially ineffective at detecting cracks in the wing attachment fittings,” the report said.

‘So many wrongs’

A coronial inquest a year later also found that the inspection, ¬maintenance and testing procedures in relation to David’s aircraft, including the wing fittings, were “inadequate”.

The NSW deputy state coroner said David’s plane had been inspected in August 2013 by two companies - Beal Aircraft Maintenance and Aviation NDT using the alternative, less sensitive, and unapproved eddy current technique.

Magistrate Derek Lee found that the August 2013 safety inspection failed to detect both corrosion pitting and a fatigue crack in the left wing’s lower attachment fitting.

Lee said the unapproved testing process combined with the failure to remove the plane’s wings during the safety check “all meant that the August 2013 inspection was inadequate”.

Soon after the inquest, Julie launched civil action against CASA, Beal Aircraft Maintenance and Aviation NDT “because they did not do their jobs properly”.

“I am a big believer in righting wrongs and there’s so many wrongs in this case,” she said.

The 48-year-old said CASA was ultimately responsible for her husband’s death because the safety watchdog failed to realise that Beal Aircraft Maintenance and Aviation NDT Services were using the wrong method to test the wing attachments.

She said CASA should have, after issuing the airworthiness directive in 2000, checked and ensured that engineers were conducting maintenance on M18 Dromader aircraft correctly.

“How did CASA, as the statutory authority who are overseeing safety, not do any auditing or cross-checking with the operators to ensure they were using the right testing technique for 13 years?” Julie said.

“That’s just one example of their dysfunction.”

There have been multiple failed mediation attempts since 2017.

“It’s dragged on because CASA have dragged their feet through the whole matter,” Julie said.

“They don‘t believe they hold any responsibility in this case which then leads me to the question: why are they called the Civil Aviation Safety Authority?

“The buck stops with them."

“There has to be an apportionment of blame.”

Exposing the truth

After six years of legal wrangling, a civil trial before the judge Robertson Wright has been set down for three weeks from May 1.

Barrister Ian Harvey from Wentworth Chambers will represent CASA, while barrister David Lloyd SC of 12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers will represent Julie.

Lloyd will be instructed by Mark Gray-Spencer of GSG Legal, an aviation lawyer of 30 years, who has worked with Julie on this case from the start.

From the trial Julie, who has funded her legal battle with ¬proceeds from selling the family’s ¬aviation business, is seeking three outcomes.

The widow wants compensation for her losses, an inquiry into CASA’s operations and what she says is a long-overdue apology.

“Well, obviously (an apology) from the aircraft engineers and NDT services that were involved,” she said.

“Most importantly, CASA, but because it’s an organisation, no one is held accountable.

“There’s not one person there who would be losing any sleep over this.

“I’m not even sure that those who are running CASA are aware this matter is coming up for trial.”

The single mother said that despite the findings of the ATSB and the coroner, no one has expressed remorse.

“You can see how many different hands played a part in the lead up to this accident and not one of those people has said to me or my children, ‘I’m so sorry’,” she said.

“No one has said ‘I should have done this differently or I should have overseen this differently’."

“A simple heartfelt apology ¬really does make a difference and would just be a nice way to end it all.”

Julie said she was committed to exposing the “dysfunction” within CASA so that an incident like this never happens again.

“There are still wrongs that need to be righted,” she said.

“Wings don’t just fall off aircraft.”

A spokesperson for CASA said it would be inappropriate for the agency to comment on matters before the court.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

AOPA Oz suggestions for CASA fictional SMS script?? - 

Via FB:

Civil Aviation Safety Authority - CASA

#ComingSoon: We recently finished filming our new safety management systems (SMS) videos that complement our updated Safety management systems resource kit (3rd edition).

Filmed at Bankstown in NSW these new videos feature a fictitious regional charter and training organisation where the owner makes critical decisions.

Get your updated SMS kit from the CASA website: civilaviation.au/sms-update or a print copy from our online store: civilaviation.au/SMS-online-store

---

AOPA Oz in reply...

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Australia
1 h 

CASA OUT FILMING:  SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR GENERAL AVIATION BUSINESS - SOME SUGGESTIONS FROM AOPA AUSTRALIA TO HELP KEEP IT REAL!

Fantastic work CASA... but did you also film a fictitious general aviation charter management and ownership team being financially destroyed and the business bankrupted by the excessive cost impost of your Safety Management System (SMS) on small to medium sized GA businesses?

You could even include some video of the excessive stress and workload burdens that your SMS adds to the operation of small businesses and how it undermines Human Factors principles. Or some video that demonstrates how CASA continually change regulations with total disregard as to the impact on the performance of small to medium sized business?

AOPA Australia believes the above would all help to make your training videos genuinely realistic and relatable for general aviation businesses across Australia. Keep up the great work!

---

Gary Gould

This over-administration is endemic in Australia. (Just look at how the HR departments have become so powerful). An acquaintance of mine, a GP, gave up his practice in Sydney simply because of the paperwork. He normally worked 5.5 days a week, but spent every second Sunday filling out paperwork. The ATO, Federal Health Depatment, State Health Departments, Insurance Companies, wages paperwork for his three staff. Essentially one day free from work a fortnight. The breaking point came with a routine audit of his surgery, from NSW Health where it was found that his fridge needed replacing, “because it was older than four years”. That was it. He closed his practice. He is nowhere near retirement age. Any wonder we are short of GP’s. The aviation game is very similar. Any wonder we are short of pilots.

---

Kevin Warren

More propaganda.

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Peter John-Francis

Wow. Some propaganda with shiny happy people.

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Ralph Holland

Oh dear.

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Wayne Harder

The movie title should be
“Fiddling while Rome burns”

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

Fort Fumble strike 10/10/23: Outcome??

Apologies a little bit late to this one...

Via the Oz: 

Aviation safety regulator ‘unsafe’ say unions ahead of half-day strike



Australia’s aviation safety regulator has been accused of undermining safety in the industry through chronic understaffing and excessive working hours.

Pilots, engineers and other technical specialists employed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority plan to walk off the job on Tuesday in an effort to have their concerns addressed.

They include members of Professionals Australia, the Australian Federation of Air Pilots and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association.

Professionals Australia chief executive Jill McCabe said 95 per cent of their members supported escalating industrial action after CASA failed to satisfactorily respond to their concerns.

“Chronic understaffing has left CASA’s technical workforce overworked and under enormous pressure to cover a huge backlog of work that needs to be completed to keep Australia’s aviation industry safe,” said Ms McCabe.

“Twenty five per cent of our members reported working between six to 10 extra hours a fortnight and a further 15 per cent are working more than ten additional hours each fortnight.

“In addition, 65 per cent of our members indicated that working extra hours impacted the quality of inspections, the effectiveness of safety regulations, the workplace culture and their health and safety.”



Executive director of AFAP Simon Lutton said fatigue caused by excessive overtime due to understaffing was a major concern for members.

“While a key objective of CASA is to ensure that proper fatigue management protocols are enforced within Australia’s aviation sector, CASA’s role in providing a work environment conducive to managing the fatigue of its own pilot employees is extremely poor,” Mr Lutton said.

“Our members are routinely working excessive overtime to keep up with demand, and as a result, the quality of their work, their health and safety and the safety of the travelling public is being put at risk.”

ALAEA federal secretary Steve Purvinas said the highly technical nature of members’ work was being undermined by poor workplace conditions.

“The work that aircraft engineers undertake for CASA is often highly complex and takes significant time. This type of work cannot be rushed, and the consequences of cutting corners can be catastrophic,” Mr Purvinas said.

“CASA aircraft engineers need the staff and time to do their jobs properly.”

The three unions were pushing for an additional 36 technical staff in the immediate term and a review of technical staffing levels.

PA also advised they were writing to Transport Minister Catherine King about the impact of understaffing on CASA’s ability to effectively regulate safety in the aviation industry and the urgent need to lift any public sector staffing caps that apply to CASA.

“The reality is that CASA needs additional staff to keep Australia’s aviation sector safe,” Ms McCabe said.

A CASA spokesman said aviation safety would not be compromised by Tuesday’s stop work.

He said CASA continued to negotiate with unions representing the regulator’s staff, with the aim of reaching an outcome that was fair and equitable for all.

“We have sufficient qualified staff available to continue to ensure the ongoing safety of aviation in Australia,” the spokesman said.

Plus via the Mandarin: 

Federal aircraft inspectors move to strike over safety concerns, staff shortages aircraft inspection-maintenance-servicing


Sometimes you have to accept physics beats spreadsheets. (InputUX/Adobe)

Qantas might be handing out sick bags to investors after flying into a cloud of turbulence caused by dudded customers, but planes across the nation could soon have trouble taking off if the Albanese government can’t come to an agreement over sufficient staffing and training levels for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which keeps aircraft legally flying.

The powerful, yet usually reserved, federal aviation engineering union has called time on entrenched short-staffing and corner-cutting, filing for protected industrial action (PIA) at the Fair Work Commission. The union claims CASA has failed to respond to frontline warnings about staffing levels and training that it says are eroding aviation checking activities and safety.

Technical staff at CASA, who are represented at an industrial level by Professionals Australia, include aviation safety regulators, flight training examiners, flying operations inspectors and a range of other specialists who have to make the call on whether planes and choppers are fit to fly and equipment airworthy.

The heavily certified staff are a core element of the constant inspection activities that ensure aircraft operators don’t cut corners and comply with both Australian and international regulations. And don’t crash.

But, with an industry battered by COVID and any number of restructures and pressures to rein in costs being heaped onto the sector, aviation inspectors have called time on the dilution of their duties.

And to safely land their point, Professionals Australia has thrown in a pretty bleak recent Australian National Audit Office report that the union says found a “31% decline in CASA’s surveillance activities between 2017/18 and 2020/21.”

“The report also highlighted a mismatch between staffing levels in CASA and anticipated levels of surveillance,” Professionals Australia said.

There is an evidence base to the argument. Aviation contesters to Newtonian physics don’t live long enough to publish much.

The application by aviation safety inspectors to strike is about as serious as it gets in terms of the current stoush between the Australian Public Service Commission and non-clerical unions over standards, conditions and pay as the Australian Public Service continues to leach staff to the private sector.

By far the biggest sore spot is that private sector employers keen to poach staff from regulatory positions can implicitly trade on major wage disparities.

But equally, there’s also strong and growing concern that the public sector is trading away its once robust and industry-setting technical prowess through a blancmange of generalist instruments and classifications that devalue technical skills that may be cyclical, but broadly evergreen.

Like at Defence, where Professionals Australia is gunning for a distinct STEM classification (science, technology, engineering and maths) to rein-in the systemic leaching of talent to the private sector the moment it secures a decent clearance.

“Technical staff are vital to the safe operation of Australia’s aviation sector,” Professionals Australia ACT Director Kathleen Studdert said.

“Unfortunately, understaffing, patchy access to technical training and a classification structure incapable of effectively competing with the private sector means CASA doesn’t have the technical specialists it needs to carry out the necessary surveillance of aviation operators to keep air travel safe.

“That’s why we have called for a separate industrial agreement for CASA’s technical workforce.”

That’s also a bit of a problem — or opportunity — for smaller unions to make themselves felt.

The bottom line is that while CASA technical staff may hold smaller numbers in aviation than baggage handlers, cabin crew or administrative staff it’s still their engineers and mechanics that make the big calls.

They also have the grizzly duty of figuring out what went wrong, when it does go wrong, including finding and picking up the pieces.

Studdert said that Professionals Australia has also written to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that the union said will conduct an audit of CASA in mid-September.

“CASA technical staff care deeply about aviation safety and our international reputation. They want to ensure CASA has the technical capabilities to ensure a culture of proactive safety,” Studdert said.

“Given our members are on the frontline of maintaining the safety of Australia’s air operations, we want to engage with ICAO to discuss our concerns about the aviation safety regime overseen by CASA.”

Bargaining continues.

MTF...P2 

[Earl Lank]

Let’s not forget the primary reason for a substantial part of the workload: CASA has built a regulatory regime which is a symbiosis between CASA and ‘industry’, requiring a ream of certificates, permissions, approvals, authorisations, licences, ratings, endorsements and exemptions in order to function lawfully, and CASA charges fees for it all. This sentence and the word “legally” says it all:

“[P]lanes across the nation could soon have trouble taking off if the Albanese government can’t come to an agreement over sufficient staffing and training levels for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which keeps aircraft legally flying.”

And then there’s the self-perpetuating workload created by the sheer volume of regulatory material and the consequential errors and unintended consequences which CASA then has to address.

[Peetwo]

Miniscule Dicky (WFH) King announces new Fort Fumble Board Member?? - 

Via DK's attributed to MR page:

New appointee to the CASA board

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Tarryn Kille to the board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Dr Kille began her aviation career as a professional pilot and flight instructor, and has extensive experience across aviation research, regulatory policy and operations.

She is an Associate Professor, Program Director and Aviation Discipline Lead at the University of Southern Queensland lecturing in aviation leadership and management and has a PhD in aviation sustainability.

She has made an impact in the aviation education industry, building new post-graduate programs with the University of Southern Queensland and Griffith University.

Dr Kille brings a strong understanding of policy and regulatory frameworks, having worked in these areas previously, and brings a unique set of skills to the board of CASA.

Her qualifications and experience will help shape and govern CASA as it navigates future opportunities and challenges.

I look forward to continuing to work with the CASA Board to ensure Australian aviation remains among the safest in the world and a world-class leader.

Plus via the Mandarin:

Civil Aviation Safety Authority board



Tarryn Kille

Professional pilot Dr Tarryn Kille joined Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) as a board member.

She is an associate professor, program director and aviation discipline lead at the University of Southern Queensland.

“Dr Kille brings a strong understanding of policy and regulatory frameworks, having worked in these areas previously, and brings a unique set of skills to the board of CASA,” infrastructure minister Catherine King said.

Plus via Oz Flying:

Expert all-rounder joins CASA Board
16 October 2023

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority Board has announced the appointment of Dr Tarryn Kille as its newest member.

Dr Kille is an experienced aviation professional with extensive experience across aviation research, regulatory policy and operations.

Beginning her career as a professional pilot and flight instructor, she is now an Associate Professor, Program Director and Aviation Discipline Lead at the University of Southern Queensland lecturing in aviation leadership and management.

She has a PhD in aviation sustainability and has served on the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Operations Panel.

CASA Board Chair, Mark Binskin, said the appointment of Dr Kille by Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King will bring another layer of experience to the CASA Board.

‘Tarryn has already made an outstanding contribution to fostering and improving Australian aviation safety as a member of CASA’s Aviation Safety Advisory Panel, which she joined in June 2022,’ Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.

‘The CASA Board will be stronger for her knowledge and expertise, as she leaves that position and steps into her new role.’

In addition to developing a strong understanding of policy and regulatory frameworks, Dr Kille has built new post-graduate programs with the University of Southern Queensland and Griffith University.

 ‘As the aviation industry worldwide grapples with ways to attract new and qualified staff, Tarryn brings extensive experience and insights into shaping the aviation leaders of the future,’ said Air Chief Marshal Binskin

Hmmm...yet another Prof Murray acolyte, I wonder if that means Doc (in for the) Kille will have to resign her position on the ASAP? Slightly conflicted  I would have thought?? 

MTF...P2 

[Sandy Reith]

I wish Tarryn Kille well in her new position, hopefully her experience will help. Perhaps she could have corrected CEO Pip Spence’s extraordinary statement that a self declared private pilot medical would be a “world’s first.” I’m sure Tarryn would be well aware of the 70 and 40 year histories of the gliding fraternity and of RAAUS in terms of their successful self declared car driver standard.

Tarryn might also look at the extraordinary cost escalation of running CASA. Surely the money derived from the aviation community and the general taxpayer deserves to be carefully spent and be of real value? From a few short years ago $200 million pa to now some $300 million.

Those of us that have been in the real world of making business in General Aviation know very well that CASA has destroyed much of GA for no benefits to safety and certainly to the detriment of the National interest. For one most glaring example the loss of hundreds of flying schools all over Australia and the now significant dearth of pilots as direct result of CASA’s extremely complex and expensive regulatory environment.

[P7_TOM]

Cranky- fair warning:-

What a load of BOLLOCKS....!!....

“As the aviation industry worldwide grapples with ways to attract new and qualified staff, Tarryn brings extensive experience and insights into shaping the aviation leaders of the future,’ said Air Chief Marshal Binskin.

Outside of the great Self delusional; head in the sand bubble; the aviation world is going ballistic. Dozens of clever, qualified, experienced, handy folk have shaken off the cringe and found a warm welcome (and better conditions) with overseas employers. Take a look at the USA – for example. Bin – Skinnin – Bananas for donkey's years, wants 'more' aviation leaders of the future trained by academics in 'the approved manner'. What bloody future – FCOL – airports forcing out aviation business; flight schools across the nations regional and country centres abandoning the business; those with a pilots licence worth tuppence carting freight in clapped out C210, for a pittance – in the hope of getting a 'gig' flying a clapped out C402 or a PA 31. FDS get a grip; there is very little in the way of 'forward' progress for the few who actually manage the expense and complete lack of developing any sort of career pathway to a well paid command; some actually make it – many don't. It ain't those who can develop 'leaders' we are short of; it is an industry - one that can produce them and  needs them (now would be good). The CASA board needs a serious lesson in that vague, long forgotten 'thing' in Canberra – duckling REALITY...FCOL...

Sandy - “Those of us that have been in the real world of making business in General Aviation know very well that CASA has destroyed much of GA for no benefits to safety and certainly to the detriment of the National interest. For one most glaring example the loss of hundreds of flying schools all over Australia and the now significant dearth of pilots as direct result of CASA’s extremely complex and expensive regulatory environment."

Amen, in Spades – redoubled. Many of our best and brightest learned their trade at the local aerodrome; working with 'experienced' entrepreneurial instructors who set up shop; grew the once great Aero Club system and actually had some notion about real 'flying' and even how to produce a superior product. No more – driven out by CASA academic, surreal 'philosophy', cost, over bearing regulation, more cost and delay in approval. Much has been lost – for no benefit whatsoever. Take a look at that ridiculous Part 61 – see what your newly appointed 'bored member' thinks of the penalties and damage inflicted by that flight of fancy, driven into law by a fellah who has NDI (or real world experience) of 'aviation' – proper. A self promoting mouthpiece; a Muppet; he who built the platform for the abomination current flight training actually is. Take a look at the USA system – going very, very well indeed; actually training pilots worthy of the name.

Do the research; compare the real world: the 'other' real world, the real performance and real results to the Australian crippled thing, crawling along under the burden of regulation we had to have. And ministers with no idea and less interest; hiding under the screen of 'not responsible'. You can thank Albo for that – {and his ridiculous 'referendum'}.  He and his bag lady should just bugger off and leave this land to do what it does best. And when it does well – it shines a very bright light. Perhaps we could spare some for the aviation industry which is constantly being left in the hands of the current crop of ( fill in with your own pet definition). Time to bust the bubble and get a grip on reality – believe me, that place is a continent away from Canberra.

Disgusting, disingenuous, deceitful and cowardly  – Shame on the lot of 'em.