A Tragic Situation Blossoming.

A Tragic Situation Blossoming. – Aunty Pru Forum version

ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood, right, and Transport Minister Darren Chester.

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‘Promoted to a level of incompetence’; a phrased coined by L.J. Peter. “It states that the selection of a candidate for a position is based on the candidate’s performance in their current role, rather than on abilities relevant to the intended role. Thus, employees only stop being promoted once they can no longer perform effectively, and “managers rise to the level of their incompetence”.

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The Australian ATSB has been for a number of years, probably since the Lockhart River tragedy, struggling to maintain its status , independence and credibility.

“While there are things about which one does not boast, there are others for which to be pitied would be all too humiliating.” ― Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera.

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“200501977 contains a modest two hundred and forty six pages which can be skimmed through in about thirty minutes, the readers eyes glazing over somewhere during that period.  This is a reader mistake. To properly read the report the reader must firstly understand the nature of a long running battle between two powerful entities for power, money, influence and kudos. The history of these rival groups is coloured, metaphorically speaking, in blood.

In today’s world, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is in the political ascendancy, attracts the media attention, enjoys well filled coffers and basks in the security of public confidence.

The ATSB is chronically under funded, attracts very little media attention and the general public have only a vague notion that it exists. And so, the ATSB must be careful to protect it’s rice bowl, not rock too many boats and mind it’s manners.

How then can the ATSB weave the unpleasant truths about an aviation disaster into the fabric of the public lives, when their very existence is a daily struggle. Their answer is in subtle, cleverly camouflaged writing which, correctly interpreted, inevitably leads the informed reader to the correct answer.

When Dolan took charge of the agency the ‘struggle’ ceased and ATSB became a catspaw for the McConvict administration of CASA. This clearly reflected during the Senate inquiry into the Pel-Air ditching off Norfolk Island. Many would have liked to see the Senate censure both ATSB and CASA for their manipulation of the event – alas. When Dolan departed the fix – there was some hope that ATSB may grow a set and start helping industry to define the causal chains and systematic failures associated with serious accidents. Hi Viz Hood at his highest level of incompetence now, has failed, utterly, to lift the ATSB out of the pit into which it had fallen. We were all quite used to late, obfuscated, useless, fluffy reports and were left to draw our own conclusion, particularly where CASA stupidity had played a hand – at the grass roots level. Now we are being spoon fed some load of old bollocks about how the ATSB is going to make things better – by doing less and not bothering to examine all the aspects and elements which led to the accident. ATSB have been totally emasculated. It is time to stop pretending we have anything remotely resembling an independent, robust  ‘accident investigator’. In fact, for the amount of use ATSB and Hood are to aviation safety, we may as well just quietly cut it’s throat, bury the carcass and save the money. The minister and Hood are becoming an international embarrassment; and rightly so. Disgraceful.

“Once when I had remarked on the affection quite often found between cat and dog, my friend replied, “Yes. But I bet no dog would ever confess it to the other dogs.” – CS Lewis, The Four Loves.

Actually, while we have the knife out (so to speak) – we could turn our attention to the ailing CASA operations. The public face of this crippled, discredited, expensive, disruptive, partly crazed, manic, paranoid, delusional, two faced, duplicitous outfit, is represented by a man who will,  quite happily, stand up and say “Just culture” and then merrily join in the persecution of a pilot, supporting those who engineered one of this nations most disgraceful aviation story’s.

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Read from here – The 0739 key to the PelAir wx imbroglio – off the Embuggerance thread; & Sandy on Carmody HR – “Good morning Dominic”,

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This is a man who will not even acknowledge the dreadful acts perpetrated by CASA during the McConvict/Chambers era; let alone take the simple positive steps toward remedying the situation. Carmody, Chester and Hood; three of the four biblical horsemen of the apocalypse.  The BoM leading the race to be number four…

Aviation is seeing an increasing number of tragic events and some bloody close calls – there is a long list; not addressed by ATSB. The systematic failures directly related to CASA’s bungling management of matters aeronautical is a national disgrace. We must all hope and make votive offerings to a pagan god of choice that when the ‘Pel-Air’ report is released that a serious, Senate led, judicially backed inquiry is opened. We must either address the matter, fully, frankly and openly; or, resile from our position as a ‘world class’ aviation nation.  Because we ain’t one; NO minister, we ain’t: not any longer. Should you be interested in why this so, take a long hard look at those whispering sweet nothings in your ear, soothing words of comfort along with a load of bollocks. Mark my words – the next fatal accident will be sheeted home to a complete lack of ministerial action to remedy the malady.

“How many times had those awful words – “I know what I’m doing” – been uttered throughout history as prelude to disaster?” ― Christopher Buckley, Supreme Courtship

That’s it: time is going to beat me today. Take a browse through some of the excellent work P2 dredged up this week – most of it beggars the imagination, defeats logic and indicates exactly where and how the ‘safety agencies’ with ministerial backing are making Australian aviation a dangerous, international laughing stock.

Now then, socks, boots, bag – door; exeunt – in a screaming hurry.

Toot toot.