[Peetwo]

Hooded Canary goes CAMO - 

Looking more like he was doing an audition for the Village People (minus the head gear) or perhaps modelling as the Barbie Doll Ken; this was how HC appeared before the cameras yesterday in the aftermath of the tragic (RIP - ) C130 Hercules fire bomber crash near Cooma...  



Ref: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/comp...53uj7.html    

Note that he even has his position in the ATSB embroidered on his shirt -   

So the Hooded 'plastic' Canary has yet again re-transformed himself, ironically making himself more conspicuous by parading in army khaki fatigues - UDB!   

What makes it worse is that HC is again masquerading as an 'expert' transport safety investigator - excerpt from SMH article:   

ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood said it could take another day to ensure the site is safe to work on.



Vision shows what little is left of the C-130 Hercules that crashed with three US firefighters inside.CREDIT:NINE NEWS

"We have some specific knowledge of this airframe and we will be looking to secure any hazards in relation to aviation fuel, magnesium wheels, any of the unexploded pressurised canisters such as oxygen bottles," he said.

"We are ... much into the evidence gathering phase of this investigation, we won’t be speculating (on what happened)," he said. "It’s a particularly complicated site at the moment, it’s an active bushfire area."

He said the firefighters died in "the selfless pursuit of the prevention of loss of life and property".



Asked whether all C-130 aircraft should be grounded, he said there was nothing at this stage to suggest it was a systemic fault and it was "a decision for companies or the regulators".

  

Personally after the Essendon DFO,  PelAir and MH370 cover-ups etc..etc, if I was Coulson Aviation I would be requesting that the NTSB &/or the TSBC be involved in this investigation at the earliest possible convenience...

I would also be requesting that the Hooded Canary play no further part in anything to do with this investigation, including being the PR spokesperson looking for international kudos and recognition while applying a very effective smokescreen for the dismal performances for both the Smoko/Mick Mack Govt and the ATSB under his watch...

Okay back to thread ToRs - 

I note that the Rossair cover-up inquiry has again been put back for completion to the first quarter of 2020: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/inv...-2017-057/

(Note how the webpage was updated 2 days before Xmas -  )

It is also rumoured that the DIPs have again (like with PelAir cover-up Mark II - see Pel-Air re-investigation rumour mill and [b]Ghost who walks & talks beyond Reason [/b]) been threatened/bullied with possible criminal sanctions if they even contemplate leaking parts of the final report DRAFT contents - 

References: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance...ccurrences & https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviati...t_full.pdf

Recommendations
22. Any findings in the report which the audit team feel warrant Executive accountability to remedy should be included as a recommendation.

Recommendation no.1
Paragraph 2.8
The ATSB implement strategies that address the decline in the timely completion of short investigations.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau response: Agreed.

Recommendation no.2
Paragraph 2.18
The ATSB report on the efficiency with which it uses resources in undertaking investigations.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau response: Agreed.

Recommendation no.3
Paragraph 3.5
The ATSB establish more realistic targets for investigation timeframes addressing both calendar and investigator (effort) days.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau response: Agreed.

Recommendation no.4
Paragraph 3.21
The ATSB continue to progress actions that it has recently commenced to benchmark its investigation performance against relevant international comparators and use the results to identify strategies to improve its performance.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau response: Agreed.

---

AIG:

Fully implement the ATSB’s action plan to ensure that all accident and incident investigation reports are completed within the established timelines.

Next rumour floating around is that ever since being slapped with wet lettuce audit reports from both the ANAO & ICAO (see above); the Hooded Canary has been desperate to clear the decks of an ever growing list of uncompleted O&O (overdue and obfuscated) topcover investigations.

Apparently one of the ways HC is discretely doing this is by falling back on section 21 (2) & (3) of the TSI Act 2003:

(2)  The ATSB may discontinue an investigation at any time.

(3)  The ATSB must, within 28 days of discontinuing an investigation, make publicly available, by electronic or other means, a statement setting out the reasons for discontinuing the investigation.

After reviewing the Aviation Accident Investigation pages there is a number of these 'discontinued' notices (with apparently more on the way). 

e.g: 

Discontinuation notice
[b]Published 8 January 2020[/b]

Section 21 (2) of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (TSI Act) empowers the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to discontinue an investigation into a transport safety matter at any time. Section 21 (3) of the TSI Act requires the ATSB to publish a statement setting out the reasons for discontinuing an investigation.

On 23 September 2016, the ATSB commenced an investigation into the descent below segment minimum safe altitude involving Airbus A330-343X, 9M-XXI, near Gold Coast Airport, Queensland, on 11 September 2016.

The aircraft was cleared to conduct a RNAV-Z (GNSS) instrument approach to runway 14 (Figure 1) at Gold Coast Airport in visual meteorological conditions. During the approach, the aircraft was observed to descend below the 1,700 ft segment minimum safe altitude between the instrument approach’s intermediate fix (OOLNI) and a position 2.5 NM from the final approach fix (OOLNF).

Figure 1: The Gold Coast RNAV-Z (GNSS) Rwy 14 non-precision instrument approach

Source: Jeppesen

However these notices are not isolated to AAIs but are also coming in the much smaller accumulation of rail investigations which the ATSB is now nationally responsible for - e.g:

Discontinuation notice


Section 21 (2) of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (TSI Act) empowers the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to discontinue an investigation into a transport safety matter at any time. Section 21 (3) of the TSI Act requires the ATSB to publish a statement setting out the reasons for discontinuing an investigation.

On 25 June 2017, the ATSB commenced an investigation into a near collision between a Track Maintenance Vehicle (TMV) NK83 and freight train 4190N due to a signal irregularity at Islington Junction, NSW.

At approximately 1020 (AEST) on 25 May 2017, a TMV NK83 travelling to Port Waratah was stopped by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) train control at Signal IJ25. The crew in the rear locomotive of NK83 noticed that although they were foul of the Up main, the signals were clear for rail traffic to pass through. Soon after this, freight train 4190N was seen operating on the Up main headed towards NK83. The crew in the rear locomotive of NK83 made an urgent request to move NK83 forward to avoid a being struck by 4190N. NK83 moved forward and avoided being struck by 4190N.

ATSB’s preliminary evidence collection revealed:

• The signaling system at Islington junction was upgraded in 2007. The upgrade of the interlocking system did not include a risk control which previously prevented conflicting train movements at the junction.
  
  
• ARTC have since changed the interlocking system to manage the risk of conflicting movements at Islington Junction.
  
  
• Since the incident, ARTC have inspected similar crossings and confirmed that the missed interlocking risk control was isolated to the crossing at Islington Junction.
  

Following ARTC’s confirmation that the incident was isolated to the crossing at Islington Junction, the ATSB considered it was unlikely that further ATSB investigation would identify any systemic safety issues. As such, the ATSB has discontinued this investigation.

  
Although only a rumour at this stage, with not much factual evidence to back it up, AP at this point in time has put me on notice to simply monitor the ATSB webpages for future DNs. However with the current crop of notified DNs I do wonder if there is not already a particular pattern (modus operandi) for investigations that the Hooded Canary is using (at his discretion and/or direction) to discontinue an investigation?

For example this discontinued investigation - AI-2015-063 - have some very real identified systemic safety risk issues surrounding busy secondary (originally GAAP) airports, which I would have thought were important issues to document and properly identify for greater good of safe operations at these important secondary city airports?

However this was HC's justification for discontinuing:

Further steps

The ATSB did not identify any ongoing safety issues with this analysis. However, the ATSB will brief both the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Airservices Australia on the detailed analysis to help with future airspace planning.

So the findings were important enough to brief CASA and ASA on the detailed analysis but not important enough to disseminate to industry in the form of a fully documented final report analysis...  

Hmm - my 2 bob's worth...I suspect the real issue here was that the "AI" research investigation was approaching an uncomfortable 5 year anniversary

Another noticeable trend with AAI DN's is the fact that there is a number of DNs that involve Asian carrier incidents (like the one above). Now is this HC discretion on these investigations because the potential for political fallout is less (ie protection racket for the Minister) or because there is some sort of favouritism for these particular airline operators...

MTF? - Definitely...P2 

[Kharon]

A new low.

Somehow; I just can’t see the Senior Investigator of the NTSB turning up to a major, international event crash scene with his name embroidered (by his Mum) on his shirt front. Or dressed in the manner a junior producer of My Kitchen Rules imagines a ‘real’ out doors Australian dresses like; they don’t by the way. Only that idiot Irwin prancing about for the camera ‘wrestling’ tied up crocodiles did that – but only with the little ‘uns. Great theatre – but seriously?

At any accident scene the last thing the SAR boys, the police and search teams need is ‘crowd’ particularly of media types. The media is always kept back at a sensible distance; but they are there and persistent. That is their job. The head of the ATSB arriving anywhere near the media scrum would be bound to get a serious lot of attention. Was Hood on the mountain searching for clues? No. Was Hood combing the bush, picking leeches off his wet socks and battling the starving hoards of mosquitoes? NO he was not. Is Hood in any way shape or form ‘qualified’ to be anywhere else but in his Canberra office cooking the books to make a failing ATSB look good or crunching statistics out to prove that Angel Flight is dangerous and Pel-Air was kosher? Hardly qualified to that either; but, he does have all the right levers to make sure his Canary voice is not ever heard spilling the beans.

I can’t imagine what the professional air crash investigators (tin kickers) of this world may think of this self aggrandising insult to a dead crew, their families and their mates. But I do know it turns my stomach.

This is now the second lot of USA citizens killed in air accidents in Australia; Essendon and now in the mountains. The USA should demand to be the lead investigator on this latest event. Any close study of the dribble and waffle Hood espouses will show, that clearly accident investigation is a political football in this wide brown land – when the report eventually emerges from the wordsmiths mitts.

It troubles me that Hood would rush to put on his new, embroidered shirt, race up to the safest base away from the accident scene and grab a ‘photo- op’. Neither use nor ornament to SAR or investigation – but, because it is an international event, the horrible little man has to be there. Got to stop – now - before I throw up.

What can be said of the crew or to their nearest and dearest? The world is a poorer place without them. We all here feel the loss of a crew; no accolade is high enough – they did their job, in the approved manner: calmly, professionally and properly. God speed and tailwinds fellahin; safe home.

No Gazette this Sunday – mark of respect and gratitude.

Selah.

P7 - Second the Motion.

[Peetwo]

A new low.

Somehow; I just can’t see the Senior Investigator of the NTSB turning up to a major, international event crash scene with his name embroidered (by his Mum) on his shirt front. Or dressed in the manner a junior producer of My Kitchen Rules imagines a ‘real’ out doors Australian dresses like; they don’t by the way. Only that idiot Irwin prancing about for the camera ‘wrestling’ tied up crocodiles did that – but only with the little ‘uns. Great theatre – but seriously?

At any accident scene the last thing the SAR boys, the police and search teams need is ‘crowd’ particularly of media types. The media is always kept back at a sensible distance; but they are there and persistent. That is their job. The head of the ATSB arriving anywhere near the media scrum would be bound to get a serious lot of attention. Was Hood on the mountain searching for clues? No. Was Hood combing the bush, picking leeches off his wet socks and battling the starving hoards of mosquitoes? NO he was not. Is Hood in any way shape or form ‘qualified’ to be anywhere else but in his Canberra office cooking the books to make a failing ATSB look good or crunching statistics out to prove that Angel Flight is dangerous and Pel-Air was kosher? Hardly qualified to that either; but, he does have all the right levers to make sure his Canary voice is not ever heard spilling the beans.

I can’t imagine what the professional air crash investigators (tin kickers) of this world may think of this self aggrandising insult to a dead crew, their families and their mates. But I do know it turns my stomach.

This is now the second lot of USA citizens killed in air accidents in Australia; Essendon and now in the mountains. The USA should demand to be the lead investigator on this latest event. Any close study of the dribble and waffle Hood espouses will show, that clearly accident investigation is a political football in this wide brown land – when the report eventually emerges from the wordsmiths mitts.

It troubles me that Hood would rush to put on his new, embroidered shirt, race up to the safest base away from the accident scene and grab a ‘photo- op’. Neither use nor ornament to SAR or investigation – but, because it is an international event, the horrible little man has to be there. Got to stop – now - before I throw up.

What can be said of the crew or to their nearest and dearest? The world is a poorer place without them. We all here feel the loss of a crew; no accolade is high enough – they did their job, in the approved manner: calmly, professionally and properly. God speed and tailwinds fellahin; safe home.

No Gazette this Sunday – mark of respect and gratitude.

Selah.

P7 - Second the Motion.

Thor crash update.

Although now more than a couple of days old, the following is an extremely informative 15 minute video by Blan Coliro that explains how the LAT (Large Air Tanker) operations are managed, the risks involved and the possible causes for the crash of the C130 LAT 134. definitely worth the 1 cup of coffee to watch...  

The Airtanker industry is a small, tight knit aviation community. Today's news from Australia was devastating.

UPDATE:

25 Jan- Crash site video:
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-2...
[/color]
Colson Aviation Releases Crew member Information:
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://www.coulsonaviationusa.com/ne...[/color]

LINKS:
Associated Aerial Firefighters Memorial Trust Fund
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://airtanker.org/aaf-memorial-fund/[/color]

U.S. Aerial Firefighters Memorial Wall
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]http://airtanker.org/memorial/[/color]

 

Via 10newsfirst:

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

A new low.

Somehow; I just can’t see the Senior Investigator of the NTSB turning up to a major, international event crash scene with his name embroidered (by his Mum) on his shirt front. Or dressed in the manner a junior producer of My Kitchen Rules imagines a ‘real’ out doors Australian dresses like; they don’t by the way. Only that idiot Irwin prancing about for the camera ‘wrestling’ tied up crocodiles did that – but only with the little ‘uns. Great theatre – but seriously?

At any accident scene the last thing the SAR boys, the police and search teams need is ‘crowd’ particularly of media types. The media is always kept back at a sensible distance; but they are there and persistent. That is their job. The head of the ATSB arriving anywhere near the media scrum would be bound to get a serious lot of attention. Was Hood on the mountain searching for clues? No. Was Hood combing the bush, picking leeches off his wet socks and battling the starving hoards of mosquitoes? NO he was not. Is Hood in any way shape or form ‘qualified’ to be anywhere else but in his Canberra office cooking the books to make a failing ATSB look good or crunching statistics out to prove that Angel Flight is dangerous and Pel-Air was kosher? Hardly qualified to that either; but, he does have all the right levers to make sure his Canary voice is not ever heard spilling the beans.

I can’t imagine what the professional air crash investigators (tin kickers) of this world may think of this self aggrandising insult to a dead crew, their families and their mates. But I do know it turns my stomach.

This is now the second lot of USA citizens killed in air accidents in Australia; Essendon and now in the mountains. The USA should demand to be the lead investigator on this latest event. Any close study of the dribble and waffle Hood espouses will show, that clearly accident investigation is a political football in this wide brown land – when the report eventually emerges from the wordsmiths mitts.

It troubles me that Hood would rush to put on his new, embroidered shirt, race up to the safest base away from the accident scene and grab a ‘photo- op’. Neither use nor ornament to SAR or investigation – but, because it is an international event, the horrible little man has to be there. Got to stop – now - before I throw up.

What can be said of the crew or to their nearest and dearest? The world is a poorer place without them. We all here feel the loss of a crew; no accolade is high enough – they did their job, in the approved manner: calmly, professionally and properly. God speed and tailwinds fellahin; safe home.

No Gazette this Sunday – mark of respect and gratitude.

Selah.

P7 - Second the Motion.

Thor crash update.

Although now more than a couple of days old, the following is an extremely informative 15 minute video by Blan Coliro that explains how the LAT (Large Air Tanker) operations are managed, the risks involved and the possible causes for the crash of the C130 LAT 134. definitely worth the 1 cup of coffee to watch...  

The Airtanker industry is a small, tight knit aviation community. Today's news from Australia was devastating.

UPDATE:

25 Jan- Crash site video:
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-2...
[/color]
Colson Aviation Releases Crew member Information:
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://www.coulsonaviationusa.com/ne...[/color]

LINKS:
Associated Aerial Firefighters Memorial Trust Fund
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://airtanker.org/aaf-memorial-fund/[/color]

U.S. Aerial Firefighters Memorial Wall
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]http://airtanker.org/memorial/[/color]

 

Via 10newsfirst:

K and Co probably aren't going to like this but here was the full performance of the Hooded Canary courtesy of the ABC...

Ps Note the almost uncontrolled twitching - tourettes maybe??...  

Pps Do you get the feeling that HC has been waiting for this particular (high profile) moment ever since he was inappropriately appointed Chief Commissioner of the Australian Top Cover Bureau?? 

[Peetwo]

A perfect point of comparison - 

Most people have heard by now of the tragic crash on Jan. 26 (US WST), of a Sikorsky
S-76B helicopter in Calabasas, CA. which killed 9 people including retired basketball star Kobe Bryant and his 13 year old daughter.

Although in the early stages the NTSB investigation IMO provides yet again another perfect opportunity to compare how the ATSB and the NTSB go about their business with two very high profile aviation accidents involving multiple fatalities...

Let's start with the dreadful HC ABC media video:

A new low.

Somehow; I just can’t see the Senior Investigator of the NTSB turning up to a major, international event crash scene with his name embroidered (by his Mum) on his shirt front. Or dressed in the manner a junior producer of My Kitchen Rules imagines a ‘real’ out doors Australian dresses like; they don’t by the way. Only that idiot Irwin prancing about for the camera ‘wrestling’ tied up crocodiles did that – but only with the little ‘uns. Great theatre – but seriously?

At any accident scene the last thing the SAR boys, the police and search teams need is ‘crowd’ particularly of media types. The media is always kept back at a sensible distance; but they are there and persistent. That is their job. The head of the ATSB arriving anywhere near the media scrum would be bound to get a serious lot of attention. Was Hood on the mountain searching for clues? No. Was Hood combing the bush, picking leeches off his wet socks and battling the starving hoards of mosquitoes? NO he was not. Is Hood in any way shape or form ‘qualified’ to be anywhere else but in his Canberra office cooking the books to make a failing ATSB look good or crunching statistics out to prove that Angel Flight is dangerous and Pel-Air was kosher? Hardly qualified to that either; but, he does have all the right levers to make sure his Canary voice is not ever heard spilling the beans.

I can’t imagine what the professional air crash investigators (tin kickers) of this world may think of this self aggrandising insult to a dead crew, their families and their mates. But I do know it turns my stomach.

This is now the second lot of USA citizens killed in air accidents in Australia; Essendon and now in the mountains. The USA should demand to be the lead investigator on this latest event. Any close study of the dribble and waffle Hood espouses will show, that clearly accident investigation is a political football in this wide brown land – when the report eventually emerges from the wordsmiths mitts.

It troubles me that Hood would rush to put on his new, embroidered shirt, race up to the safest base away from the accident scene and grab a ‘photo- op’. Neither use nor ornament to SAR or investigation – but, because it is an international event, the horrible little man has to be there. Got to stop – now - before I throw up.

What can be said of the crew or to their nearest and dearest? The world is a poorer place without them. We all here feel the loss of a crew; no accolade is high enough – they did their job, in the approved manner: calmly, professionally and properly. God speed and tailwinds fellahin; safe home.

No Gazette this Sunday – mark of respect and gratitude.

Selah.

P7 - Second the Motion.

K and Co probably aren't going to like this but here was the full performance of the Hooded Canary courtesy of the ABC...

Ps Note the almost uncontrolled twitching - tourettes maybe??...  

Pps Do you get the feeling that HC has been waiting for this particular (high profile) moment ever since he was inappropriately appointed Chief Commissioner of the Australian Top Cover Bureau?? 

Spot the difference?

Now compare that to yesterday's NTSB Board Member Jennifer Homendy's second media briefing:

Note that the YouTube video is produced, therefore controlled, by the NTSB. Although Board Member Jennifer Homendy's performance is fairly dour and overly lengthy in presentation, never at any point does she deviate from just stating the facts as they were known at the point in time. Also note at approx 05:45 where Homendy presents factual information on the flight path, she says:

" ..I want to read it because I want to make sure it is reported accurately...(sic)"       

That is very clever and extremely professional as it cannot leave any room for media sensationalism.

Also note that Homendy had already visited the site.

It is also worth referring to the NTSB Twitter feed which as you would expect has many official posts (9 so far) over the last 48hrs related to the S76 fatal crash: https://twitter.com/NTSB_Newsroom

Including this heads up about the (above) 2nd media briefing:

NTSB Board Member Jennifer Homendy's second media briefing on the Jan. 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA, available here...

---

Plus:

 NTSB B-Roll taken on Jan. 27 of investigators documenting the accident site of the Jan. 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA;

---

And recently:

Photo taken Jan. 27, NTSB investigators Adam Huray and Carol Horgan
examine wreckage of the Jan. 26 helicopter crash near Calabasas, California.
Additional images of the investigation available via NTSB's Flickr account at:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmL3kbgX

Now going back to the Hooded Canary media briefing - at this point in time:

a) ..there is no ATSB official recorded version of the HC media briefing;

b) ..nor is there a record on the ATSB news webpage or social media? There is only 2 tweets related to the C130 crash: 1) Notification that they will be conducting an investigation https://twitter.com/atsbgovau/status/122...0628794369 2) https://twitter.com/atsbgovau/status/122...1642498048

ATSB transport safety investigators today safely recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the C-130 large air tanker which collided with terrain near Cooma on Thursday. The CVR will be returned to our technical laboratories in Canberra for downloading and analysis.

c) ..in fact despite it being nearly 6 days after the crash, there is still no entry on the air accident  investigation page.

MTF...P2 

ps Passing strange coincidence recently (last 1hr) the C130 investigation details etc has been added to the ATSB aviation investigation page (note the update date at the bottom of the page) and the HOME page - 

Gotta wonder about all this Hood and dagger rubbish?? Maybe with the ATSB's limited resources they were all too busy out at the crash site...hmm so much for transparency - 

[P7_TOM]

Chalk and Cheese.

I drew the ‘short straw’. Not all of us has the ‘sangfroid’ P2 has; dumper and dust bin diving has provided him an immunity. Anyway; it was I who was obliged to sit trough the Hood media bite slop: for my sins, I did. The ever handy houseboat bucket was close by (and used). Without prejudice, malice, spite or even natural revulsion – IMO Hood is not fit for active duty. I certainly would not let him fly as crew; the publicly available information regarding his decline into, as witnessed through Australian media and various other channels place a huge question mark over his tenure as the head of the ATSB.

Seriously - This is the opinion of many, from ASA, through CASA and from the ATSB itself; although non will say so. However, take the time to listen and watch the NTSB top brass as they ‘manage’ a high profile fatal accident. Calm, professional approach; rock solid on both ‘truth’ and ‘known facts’. For sheer professionalism – as you should be able to expect – the NTSB once again show the world how the world’s best ‘do it’.

As P2 points out; only after six days have the ATSB remembered to include in the ‘Accident and Investigation’ section of their bloody awful website that there was, indeed, a fatal accident.

The NTSB, without even thinking about it, took the initiative, gathered what facts they could, and, without any fanfare (or embroidered shirt fronts) simply got on with job. They don’t ‘know’ what happened – but; bet your boots, they’ll come close without any statistical whimsy, obfuscation, or self aggrandisement. They even admit to a MoU with the FBI – why not?

Before Hood bluffed and cajoled his way into the ATSB, the stench left behind by ‘Beaker’ should have created a major, politically driven overhaul of ATSB. Now it has become essential. In a handful of years, ATSB has degenerated into an international acronym for PR and, ministerial arse cover. Part of the great protection racket for ministers and MP’s alike. Delay, false trails, clever editing of investigators reports and of course the lies, damned lies and (ahem) ‘statistics’ used in support are ‘legend’ to professional accident investigators.

But there; as requested and required, duty done. There are only two questions left in my mind.

1) WTD is this ‘minister’ going to do about the ATSB?

2) Who’s shout is it?

No – I got the first in and I watched that putrid video. That alone must be worthy of an Ale.

[Peetwo]

C&C II: The Art of (topcover) O&O?? - 

Now that we finally have someone back at the HCA (Hooded Canary Aviary) athorised to make inputs to the accident investigation database, I note that there has been a flurry of activity over the last two days - see: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/saf...e=Aviation - which includes filling out the basic details of the C130 crash including a summary: 

Collision with terrain involving Lockheed Martin EC-130Q, N134CG, near Peak View, New South Wales, on 23 January 2020

...The ATSB is investigating the collision with terrain of a Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules Large Air Tanker, registration N124CG, near Peak View, New South Wales, on 23 January 2020.

While conducting fire control operations, the aircraft collided with terrain after completing a fire retardant drop. The three flight crew on board were fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed.

The ATSB has deployed a team of transport safety investigators with experience in aircraft operations, maintenance and data recovery to the accident site, to begin the evidence collection phase of the investigation, including conducting site mapping and identifying aircraft components for recovery for examination at specialist technical facilities.

As part of the investigation, ATSB investigators will also analyse available recorded data, review weather information, aircraft maintenance and flight crew records, and interview witnesses.

Should any safety critical information be discovered at any time during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify operators and regulators so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken.

A final report will be published at the conclusion of the investigation...

All pretty standard -    However one of the most disturbing lines in the notification lies in the 'General Details' where under the sub-heading 'Anticipated completion' it says...

"..3rd Quarter 2021.." - WTD! 

P2 interpretation: In other words that's how long, as a minimum, the Hooded Canary believes it will take for the heat to blow off this extremely high profile accident investigation, where the safety risk has been effectively mitigated for any potential personal, agency and/or ministerial blow back. After all mid to late 2021 and going into 2022 HC may possibly have finished his tenure with ATCB and already received his Golden Gong award for the many loyal un-thwarted years of running a protection racket for both the minister and Govt of the day. And the Nation will be heading into another election with all the 'white noise' that will create for any potential ministerial embarrassment (think Albo and PelAir in June 2013)...

But wait there's more -   

Although inexplicably no longer appearing ( ) on the front page of the ATCB AAI notification/database webpage ( ), on the same day the C130 notification of investigation was put up there was a notable update for occurrence AO-2018-053 which if you'll remember had some disturbing details revealed in the preliminary report:

..The operator’s standard operating procedures for take-off required the PM to announce when the airspeed reached 100 kt and for the PF to cross check this airspeed indication...

...The flight crew recalled that they detected an airspeed anomaly during the take-off roll, including red speed (SPD) flags on both primary flight displays (PFD).

The standard operating procedures stated that the captain held responsibility for the decision to reject the take-off or continue. It stated that rejecting a take-off between 100 kt and V1 was a serious matter, that a captain should be ‘go-minded’, and that very few situations should lead to the decision to reject the take-off. There was no indication on the CVR recording that the captain or the first officer discussed rejecting the take-off...

This was the 'update' released (and originally published on the front page of the ATCB AAI webpage -   ) two days ago (my bold):

Update published 29 January 2020

The ATSB investigation into the airspeed indication failure on take-off involving Airbus A330, 9M‑MTK, at Brisbane Airport, Queensland, on 18 July 2018 is continuing.

The investigation is currently near the end of the evidence collection phase, with the examination and analysis phase in progress.

Since the publication of the investigation’s preliminary report on 30 August 2018, the investigation team has:

• interviewed the flight crew, engineers, ground handling personnel, and air traffic controllers
  
  
• reviewed cockpit voice and flight data recordings from the aircraft
  
  
• reviewed recordings from air traffic control (ATC) and closed-circuit security video
  
  
• obtained and reviewed further information from the aircraft manufacturer, aircraft operator, engineering support provider, and ground handling service provider.
  

The investigation continues to examine the:

• procedures, arrangements and interactions between the operator’s maintenance engineers, flight crews, engineering support provider and ground handling service provider
  
  
• procedures relating to ground and flight crew pre-flight checks, including walk-around procedures
  
  
• training records for flight crew, engineers and ground handling personnel
  
  
• warnings, cautions and other information displayed to the flight crew during the occurrence flight
  
  
• ATC recordings
  
  
• closed-circuit video recordings
  
  
• cockpit voice and flight data recordings.
  

Once the examination and analysis phase is complete, a final report will be drafted and undergo a rigorous internal review to ensure the report findings adequately and accurately reflect the analysis of available evidence. Following the completion of the internal review, a draft of the final report will be sent to all directly involved parties for their comment before the report is finalised and published.

Should any safety issues be identified during any phase of this investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify those affected and seek safety action to address the issue.

 
Then like the C130 notification it says in the 'General details'...

"..3rd Quarter 2020.."  ..yeah right and MH370 will fly again - 

This brings me to another 'furphy/load of bollocks' on what has become a standard statement at the bottom of all ATCB investigation notifications: 

..Should any safety issues be identified during any phase of this investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify those affected and seek safety action to address the issue...

Or fm the C130 notification:

..Should any safety critical information be discovered at any time during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify operators and regulators so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken...

However as we have seen and documented numerous times these statements from the Hooded Canary led ATCB are just a tick-a-box routine and merely paying lipservice compliance to the ICAO Annex 13 SARPs?? (eg Hooded Canary's search 4 IP in 2019? )

Now compare that discredited statement to this recent NTSB safety recommendation(s) announcement in relation to a 6 November 2019 occurrence involving a EMB-175 on takeoff out of Atlanta City:

Ref: https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/nr20200129b.aspx

1/29/2020
Based on preliminary findings from its ongoing investigation of an incident involving an Embraer-175 airplane, the NTSB issued 10 safety recommendations Wednesday to address safety issues identified in the investigation.

The NTSB issued six safety recommendations to the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) and four to the Federal Aviation Administration. The recommendations are designed to address areas of concern including wire chafing, application of Embraer service bulletins relating to the pitch trim switch, and potential limitations in checklist memory items for pilots to address unintended operation of the pitch trim system.

The investigation and recommendations stem from a Nov. 6, 2019, incident involving Republic Airways flight 4439, an Embraer EMB-175. The flight crew declared an emergency shortly after takeoff from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, reporting a pitch trim-related flight control issue and difficulty controlling the airplane. There were six passengers on board the airplane. The crew returned to the airport and safely landed the plane about 15 minutes after declaring the emergency.

Although the cause of the incident remains under investigation, post-incident examination of the airplane revealed chafed insulation around wires connecting the horizontal stabilizer actuator control electronics to the captain’s pitch trim switch and autopilot/trim disconnect button. The chafing was caused by contact with the incorrectly untucked pigtail of the forward mechanical stop bolt safety wire.



(Wire chafing to the insulation around wires connecting the horizontal stabilizer actuator control electronics to the captain’s pitch trim switch in an Embraer-175 (left) and an incorrectly untucked pigtail (right) that caused the chafing, are seen in these photos taken Nov. 9, 2019. Photo courtesy of Republic Airways.)

When the captain’s pitch trim switch was removed from the yoke, marks were observed that indicated at some point before the incident flight, the pitch trim switch had been installed in an inverted position. Embraer previously issued three service bulletins related to pitch trim switch installation error following reports from flight crews in 2015 about flight control system difficulties. However, neither the FAA nor the ANAC required incorporation of the service bulletins. While it is not yet known if inverted switch installation was a factor in the incident, the NTSB is concerned the condition could lead to flight crew confusion, delaying appropriate recognition of and response to increased control forces.

Preliminary information from the NTSB’s investigation also suggests that unintended pitch trim operation may be masked and go undetected during certain phases of flight, such as during takeoff. Further, limitations in the checklist memory items may delay pilots in properly responding to and regaining control of the Embraer EMB-170/175/190/195 and Lineage 1000 series airplanes. The NTSB is concerned the crew’s application of the memory item(s) on the EMB-175 Pitch Trim Runaway checklist may not comprehensively address circumstances of the trim system operation in a timely manner.

Based on these preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation, the NTSB issued the 10 safety recommendations to address these safety issues.

“Issuing these 10 safety recommendations early in the investigation demonstrates the NTSB’s commitment to take action as soon as we’ve identified and verified a safety issue that needs to be addressed,” said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. “We don’t need to wait for an investigation to be completed before issuing safety recommendations. We have the responsibility to issue recommendations that when implemented by recipients, can correct safety deficiencies, prevent accidents, and save lives,” said Sumwalt.

Aviation Safety Recommendation Report 20-01 is available online.

The NTSB’s investigation of the Nov. 6, 2019, incident is ongoing and as such, no conclusions about probable cause should be drawn from the information provided in the safety recommendation report.

###

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents, promoting transportation safety, and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families.

No further comment - for now?? 


MTF...P2 

ps This: "..The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents, promoting transportation safety, and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families..."

Just thought I'd throw the challenge out there for a re-write of that statement for our very own HC led ATCB...

[Peetwo]

C&C III: Homendy Final Media brief.

Note Homendy clearly outlines the next steps in the investigation process, including:- the release of the prelim report in 10 days (14 days from accident to release); the expected/approximate time frame for the investigation - 12 to 18 months; the fact that victims families have been fully briefed on what will be released in the media briefing; and from about 06:00 minutes she highlights that at anytime a serious safety issue has been identified will be accompanied by an immediate issuance of Safety Recommendations to the directly effected parties. Homendy then (from about 07:20) has a serious crack at the FAA about theirfailing to act on past safety recommendations related to both turbine powered rotorcraft certified for 6 or more pax and operating under part 91, 135 (ie mandatory installment of TAWS and CVR/FDR). 

(Note: It is also worth reading some of the 150 odd comments so far to get a sense of the respect both the public and industry has for the NTSB).

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

C&C IV: Safety recommendations and tension with the regulator?

C&C III: Homendy Final Media brief.

Note Homendy clearly outlines the next steps in the investigation process, including:- the release of the prelim report in 10 days (14 days from accident to release); the expected/approximate time frame for the investigation - 12 to 18 months; the fact that victims families have been fully briefed on what will be released in the media briefing; and from about 06:00 minutes she highlights that at anytime a serious safety issue has been identified will be accompanied by an immediate issuance of Safety Recommendations to the directly effected parties. Homendy then (from about 07:20) has a serious crack at the FAA about theirfailing to act on past safety recommendations related to both turbine powered rotorcraft certified for 6 or more pax and operating under part 91, 135 (ie mandatory installment of TAWS and CVR/FDR). 

(Note: It is also worth reading some of the 150 odd comments so far to get a sense of the respect both the public and industry has for the NTSB).

Via the LA Times...

---

Kobe Bryant crash renews battle over rejected safety regulations

[color=var(--primaryTextColor)][/color]

[color=var(--primaryTextColor)]Kobe Bryant and eight others were killed in a Jan. 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas.
(National Transportation Safety Board)
[/color]
By KIM CHRISTENSEN STAFF WRITER 

[color=var(--secondaryTextColor)][color=var(--secondaryTextColor)]FEB. 2, 2020
 
3 AM[/color][/color]

After the deaths of Kobe Bryant and eight others in a helicopter crash on a Calabasas hillside last week, a National Transportation Safety Board member said federal aviation regulators had previously rejected an NTSB recommendation to require a terrain warning system, a safety feature that might have saved their lives.


It was hardly the first time the NTSB had publicly questioned the Federal Aviation Administration’s decisions.

For decades, the two federal agencies have clashed on a range of issues, including smoke detectors in airline cargo holds and crashworthy fuel tanks on light helicopters. Although both agencies tout their close working relationship, neither disputes that it can be contentious.

The NTSB, which investigates aviation accidents, has made thousands of safety recommendations over the years but has no power to enforce them. The FAA, which has sole authority to set the rules, has accepted about 75% of them, according to the FAA’s most recent tally of closed cases in late 2018.

“The two agencies share a common goal: promoting aviation safety and preventing aircraft accidents, although they occasionally have different views on the most appropriate course of action,” the FAA said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.


Fatal accidents that have occurred on the heels of rejected or long-delayed safety recommendations have sometimes served as major friction points in the complicated relationship between the agencies.

“When the FAA says, ‘Thank for your interest in aviation safety’ and ‘We’ll study your recommendation,’ and then they study it and study it and study it, and then another accident happens. … If you’re the NTSB, it’s pretty frustrating if it’s something you’ve been talking about for 10 years,” said Greg Feith, a former NTSB senior accident investigator.

Criticism of the FAA from various quarters goes back to the Eisenhower administration, when Congress created the agency in 1958 with a dual and often conflicting mandate to ensure the safety of civil air travel and to promote the aviation industry.


For decades, the FAA battled the perception that it put commerce before safety, especially when rejecting corrective actions as too expensive for airlines and other industry players. The FAA is required by federal law to base safety decisions on risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis, a major difference between it and the NTSB.

One of the FAA’s most controversial and ill-fated decisions came in 1993, when it rejected an NTSB recommendation to require smoke detectors and fire-suppression systems in airplane cargo holds that are inaccessible to the crew during flight.

The requirement would have cost the airline industry more than $350 million and “would not have provided a significant degree of protection” to those aboard the planes, the FAA said at the time — and would soon regret.

In 1996, oxygen canisters stowed in the hold of a ValuJet DC-9 caught fire and caused it to crash in the Florida Everglades, 10 minutes after takeoff from Miami International Airport.
“They decided not to mandate it, and then we lost a ValuJet,” Feith, who [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]investigated the Flight 592 disaster, said in an interview. “We lost 110 people.”[/color]

The [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]NTSB’s final accident report cited the FAA’s failure to require smoke detectors and fire suppression systems as one of the main causes of the crash.[/color]

[color=var(--primaryTextColor)][/color]

[color=var(--primaryTextColor)]National Transportation Safety Board investigators examine debris from the crash site of Valujet Flight 592 that crashed in Florida in 1996.
(AFP via Getty Images)
[/color]
Under public pressure to reform the FAA, Congress amended the Federal Aviation Act in October 1996 to delete references to the agency’s “promoting” of the aviation industry, while underscoring and expanding the safety aspects of its mission.

The FAA relented on its earlier opposition and adopted the NTSB recommendations on smoke detectors and fire suppression systems in cargo holds.

The NTSB and the FAA also have clashed over the years on several issues involving [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]Robinson Helicopters, manufactured by the family-owned company in Torrance.[/color]

The agencies have been [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]at odds over safety concerns on rotor blades and in-flight vibrations, as well as more-crashworthy fuel tanks for the Robinson R44, the world’s most popular civilian helicopter.[/color]
Two months after the four-seat model was introduced in 1993, three men died when the all-aluminum fuel tank on an R44 ruptured and caught fire in a crash on the runway at El Monte Airport, just after takeoff. The three were the first of dozens of people killed or seriously injured when R44s caught fire in otherwise survivable accidents.

It would take Robinson 16 years to begin fitting new R44s in 2009 with more-crashworthy tanks lined with flexible bladders. In 2010, the company recommended the bladders as a retrofit for existing R44s, and offered them as a kit for $6,800.

But many owners did not make voluntary retrofits, and fatal post-crash fires continued to occur. In 2012, an Orange County attorney and private pilot, Jim Bechler, died when his R44’s tank breached and caught fire in a low-impact accident at the Corona Airport.

By 2013, Australian aviation authorities had become so alarmed by fatal R44 fires that they grounded them until their tanks were reinforced with flexible bladders. Within weeks, officials in New Zealand and South Africa issued similar orders. The European Aviation Safety Agency, with 32 member countries, also took steps to speed up retrofits.

In 2014, the NTSB [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]expressed its own concerns about the vulnerability of R44 tanks and asked the FAA to also make the retrofits mandatory in the United States.[/color]

“In a number of cases, the occupants have survived the initial accident, only to sustain serious or fatal injuries in the post-crash fire,” the NTSB noted.

Even Robinson Helicopter asked the FAA to make the retrofits mandatory, according to an email from the company’s chief engineer to an agency official.



[color=var(--primaryTextColor)]Police investigate the scene where three people were killed when a Robinson R44 helicopter crashed into a Newport Beach home in 2018. 
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
[/color]
But the FAA [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]rejected the NTSB recommendation. Based on an analysis of five years of data, the agency concluded that R44s “had no statistically higher percentage of fatalities as a result of post-impact fires” than other helicopters designed and certified before 1994.[/color]

That was the year that the FAA, in an attempt to reduce post-crash fire deaths, required more resilient fuel systems, including tanks, to be included in all new helicopter designs. But helicopters designed and certified before 1994 were exempt from the new standards, regardless of when they were built.

The FAA defended its decision in a statement to The Times in 2018.

“The FAA believes NTSB recommendations concerning Robinson helicopters have been effectively addressed,” it said.

The NTSB — an independent board that was created in 1967 and also investigates railroad, maritime and some other transportation accidents — has encountered strong resistance to some of its safety recommendations not just from the FAA but from other regulators.

Prior to one of the worst maritime disasters in California history, a Labor Day blaze last year that killed 34 people aboard the dive boat Conception near Santa Cruz Island, the board had made repeated calls over a span of 20 years for improved fire-safety measures for such vessels.

But a [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]recent Times review of federal documents found that the U.S. Coast Guard, which inspects and regulates those vessels, rejected many of the NTSB recommendations, sometimes calling them too burdensome or duplicative of existing regulations.[/color]

“When NTSB makes recommendations, the Coast Guard carefully considers the proposed measures and is required to weigh the benefits and impacts of implementation, " a spokesperson told The Times last year.

Last week, Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB board member who led the panel’s investigation into the Conception fire, was back on center stage in Southern California for the helicopter crash last Sunday that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and all seven others aboard.

[color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]She told reporters that the NTSB had long argued that terrain awareness and warning systems, or TAWS, should be required on helicopters that accommodate six or more passengers, such as the Sikorsky S-76 that was headed in heavy fog to Bryant’s Thousand Oaks sports center.[/color]

“Certainly, TAWS could have helped to provide information to the pilot on what terrain the pilot was flying in,” she said.

The NTSB began pushing for mandatory TAWS after a Sikorsky similar to the one Bryant chartered [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]plunged into the Gulf of Mexico in 2004, 70 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas. Two pilots and eight passengers bound for an offshore oil rig died.[/color]

A subsequent review of 55 previous helicopter and plane crashes determined that 17 might have been prevented by TAWS, the NTSB said.

In 2000, the FAA required airplanes carrying six or more passengers to be outfitted with TAWS, and 14 years later it mandated the alert system for helicopter air ambulances.

But the FAA kept TAWS optional for commercial helicopters, prompting the NTSB to [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]label that decision “unacceptable.”[/color]

As it has in other disputes with the NTSB, the FAA defends its decision in this one.

“Many helicopter air ambulance operations are conducted at night and from unimproved and unfamiliar landing areas,” the FAA said in a statement. “By contrast, on-demand operations tend to occur in populated areas, relying on a robust network of routes and landing facilities.”

The FAA statement noted that safety improvements “do not only result from new rules.” It also said that over the last two decades, the U.S. helicopter fatal accident rate has been cut in half, from 1.27 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours to 0.63.

Some [color=var(--primaryBodyLinkColor)]aviation experts have questioned whether TAWS would have prevented last week’s crash, particularly if the pilot was disoriented in the fog. The investigation into the cause is still in its early stages.[/color]

For its part, the NTSB continues to call for mandatory TAWS and flight data recorders, or black boxes, on charter helicopters, air taxis and other for-hire helicopters.

The issue is on the 2019-2020 NTSB Most Wanted list of transportation improvements. The list notes that the FAA does not require the same safety measures for those helicopters as it does for commercial airlines.

“Regardless of the purpose of the flight or the type of aircraft,” the list’s website says, “all flights should be safe—right now they may not be.”

---

LA Times: "..By 2013, Australian aviation authorities had become so alarmed by fatal R44 fires that they grounded them until their tanks were reinforced with flexible bladders..."

Sorry to burst the LA Times bubble here but if they care to refer to these archived AP Forum posts - A closed safety loop - found one! & [b]Sunday Ramble - Beyond the pale - [/b]they will see the documented evidence that it took more than 15 years for the 'aviation authorities' to become 'so alarmed' by the repeated killing of innocent victims in R44 post impact fires to actually act on what was already an identified critical safety issue - 

As for the aviation regulator obfuscating and ignoring aviation accident investigator/Coroner safety recommendations, CASA have got that down to a fine art and made even easier these days because the ATSB under HC and through the MoU agreement, has become a topcover agency for both the regulator and the minister...  

Ref: https://auntypru.com/wp-content/uploads/...alysis.pdf & https://auntypru.com/wp-content/uploads/...opin_2.pdf

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MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

O&O report: AI-2018-010 - The approval processes for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre 

Via the Oz:

---

Essendon Airport report delays slammed

ROBYN IRONSIDE
Follow @ironsider



The aftermath of the DFO crash on February 21, 2017. Picture: Jason Edwards

• 12:00AM FEBRUARY 7, 2020
  
  
• NO COMMENTS
  

An investigation into the building approvals process for land at Essendon Airport is taking almost twice as long as the plane crash investigation that triggered it.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau began its examination of the approvals process for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre almost three years ago, after the crash of a King Air B200 into the DFO building on February 21, 2017.

All five people aboard the charter flight to King Island — pilot Max Quartermain and four American tourists — were killed in the incident.

The final report on the crash was released in September 2018, but more than a year later the related investigation into the potential hazard posed by buildings around the airport is still going.
Information obtained by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots under freedom of information laws showed the draft report was actually released to “interested parties” in November 2018.

Subsequently the investigator-in-charge contacted the coroner, saying the final report was due to be released in mid-December.

But that date came and went and more than a year later, AFAP is still waiting for the ATSB to release the report. In a letter to ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood, AFAP safety and technical officer Julian Smibert sought an explanation.

“During these delays in the publication of the report, development at Essendon Airport has continued unabated, including further construction within the OLS (obstacle limitation surface) and the narrowing of the runway in order to facilitate more construction,” Mr Smibert wrote.

“In addition the maximum permitted mass of aircraft using the airport has been increased from 45 to 50 tonnes, despite the reduction in runway width.”

The ATSB’s investigation summary showed the report on the approvals process was now due to be released by the end of next month.

An ATSB spokesman said the report had been delayed by detailed feedback from directly involved parties that prompted more discussion.

“A second draft of the investigation report incorporating and addressing feedback from all parties was provided to them on 30 September 2019,” he said.

The process was made more complex by the fact the approval process was put in place nearly 20 years ago, he added.

On 21 February 2017, a building that is part of the Essendon Airport Bulla Road Precinct retail centre was struck by a Beechcraft King Air B200 (VH-ZCR). The ATSB’s preliminary report for this accident was published in March 2017. This preliminary report stated that the approval process for this building would be a matter for further investigation.

The building was part of the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre development, which was proposed by the lessee of Essendon Airport in 2003 and approved by the Federal Government in 2004.

Due to the specialist nature of the approval process and airspace issues attached to the retail centre development, and not to delay the final report into the accident from February 2017, the ATSB has decided to investigate this matter separately.

The investigation will examine the building approval process from an aviation safety perspective, including any airspace issues associated with the development, to determine the transport safety impact of the development on aviation operations at Essendon Airport.

A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, relevant parties will be immediately notified so that appropriate safety action can be taken.

---

Hmm...maybe this might help explain the delay...


Ref: https://auntypru.com/setting-the-odds-and-playing-em/


MTF...P2 

[Kharon]

Definitely Overdue, certainly obfuscated.

"At about 1503 CST[1] on 30 May 2017, Cessna 441 Conquest aircraft, registered VH-XMJ (XMJ), and operated by Rossair Charter, departed Adelaide International Airport, for Renmark Airport, South Australia."

The final report was due this year; first quarter. Now due in the second quarter. The only DIP which could possibly require that length of extension is CASA. One would have to wonder why; there are several possible reasons to consider, none of ‘em good.

But the truly disgusting thing is that the CASA catamite - ATSB, playing the role of ‘independent’ impartial investigator – is quite happy to allow the already ‘smoothed’ out report to be finalised by another agency. I’m always surprised by the things I find laying about on the pub bar; make much better reading than the coaster.

The Essendon DFO accident is another ‘delayed’ report; this delay is particularly foul. Immediate call of pilot error, followed by a ‘separate ‘investigation’ into the permissions to build within the boundaries of published, legally binding runway safety requirements. The thing that never fails to make me smile is the staggering number of building which have needed to be modified (after the fact) for minor, technical infringements of those boundaries. There is quite a list, another interesting list defines the number of ‘knocked-back’ development applications for the same reason. Yet to this day, the DFO is still standing, the risk profile unchanged; ATSB still dragging their feet on producing a ‘report’.

The complete, surgical separation of ATSB from CASA is becoming an imperative. Any independent, objective thinking person can see the need for this to happen – as a matter of urgency. Delayed, obfuscated, ambiguous reporting of accident events is as dangerous as any ‘hazard’ known to aviation. How can operators and pilots shape policy and procedure against accident investigation reports which are ‘suspect’ – look no further than Angel Flight to see the inherent result. There was nothing from the ATSB or CASA which helped mitigate the risk of a repeat performance. Ugly, unfounded rumours stem from this level of manipulation – such as political influence was used to deflect the true cause of the Mt Gambier away from the pilot, by a ‘good mate’. That sort of tale not only creates distrust, but diminishes the value of any safety message. So long as there is even the slightest whiff of ‘interference’ or ‘bias’ in aviation accident reporting; few will have any faith in the ‘recommendations’.   

The final straw of course is that both ATSB and Coroner ‘recommendations’ are treated as ‘suggestion’ or ‘opinion’ by the ‘authority’.

No where near good enough – is it?

Toot – toot.

[Choppagirl]

Come, come now K. Surely you are over-reacting??? Everyone knows that the reason Coroner recommendations are not acted upon is simply a matter of logistics! CASA have said it themselves. Different courts with different time zones mean that CASA find it impossible to know what is being recommended. It's a huge, insurmountable problem. Is my level of sarcasm over the top???

[Peetwo]

C&C V: Preliminary reports

True to their word the NTSB issued their prelim report into the tragic fatal crash of Kobe Bryant's S76 Helicopter near Calabasas California - https://ntsb.gov/investigations/Document...Update.pdf - inside of 2 weeks - 

Summation from Christine Negroni, via her Flying Lessons blog: 

NTSB Releases Photos of Kobe Bryant Helicopter In Clouds – Why, Remains Shrouded Too

February 7, 2020 / Share your comments...

The Sikorsky S-76 that crashed in California nearly two weeks ago, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others flew into clouds then hit the side of a hill near Calabasas north of Los Angeles, according to a preliminary report on the accident released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The investigators relied on multiple photos from people in the area at the time and at least one security camera. A low, thick cloud layer blanketed the hills as the helicopter disappeared into the clouds.






Ara Zobayan, the 50-year old pilot for Island Express Helicopters, the charter company hired by Bryant, had received proficiency training for inadvertent flight into instrument conditions as part of his flight review in May of 2019, but as has been reported earlier, Island Express was not approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to offer IFR flights. Other helicopter companies in the area have also declined IFR certification citing the expense and the fact that it is so rarely needed in LA.

There has been much public speculation about what might have contributed to Zobayan’s flying the aircraft into instrument conditions, including the YouTube video at the end of this post. The NTSB as is customary made no conclusions about any of the facts released in the preliminary report. It did, however, describe the accident as one with particularly significant impact damage.




The twin-engine helicopter sliced through trees then hit terrain so hard cockpit instruments were dislodged from the panel. Parts of the flight controls, engines and fuselage were destroyed in the subsequent fire.



The accident probe will not get an assist from digital flight data or cockpit voice recorders because Bryant’s helicopter, with its distinctive Black Mamba livery, did not carry them. The company was not required to equip its aircraft with black boxes, though the NTSB has been urging the FAA to require boxes on turbine engine helicopter operators for more than 20 years.

In making its most recent case to the FAA the board said between 2005 and 2017  there were 185 helicopter accidents in which the flight crew was killed. In 85 percent of those accidents, the aircraft did not carry recorders. The FAA said in 2017 that it was not considering mandating their use but it would encourage voluntary compliance by operators.

Recorders don’t prevent the accident under investigation, to be sure. And many avenues are available to help determine [i]what[/i] happened. But when it comes to understanding [i]why,[/i] recorders make a valuable contribution toward preventing the next crash.

Perhaps this particular disaster, with its high-profile passenger and the tragic number of children and parents aboard will convince the FAA to think again about whether operators should be left to decide for themselves, whether their aircraft should carry data recorders.

It will be interesting to see whether the Hooded Canary's ATCB can also get inside the ICAO Annex 13 30 day requirement for issuing of a preliminary report...

However for general comparison purposes I note that yesterday the ATCB issued their prelim report, nearly a month late, for the fatal Angel Aircraft Corp 44, VH-IAZ, near Mareeba Airport on 14 December 2019. It is somewhat 'passing strange' that this relatively low profile (albeit fatal) accident investigation prelim report was also accompanied by a Dr (Lies, damned lies and statistics) Godley media release?? 

Ongoing investigation to examine engines, records and flight review requirements


[b]One of an Angel Aircraft Corporation Model 44 aircraft’s two engines was heard to ‘splutter’ soon after take-off from Mareeba Airport, Queensland, shortly before the aircraft collided with terrain, fatally injuring the two pilots on board, an ATSB investigation’s preliminary report into the 14 December 2019 accident notes.[/b]

The aircraft had been conducting a flight review — a regular assessment flight undertaken by all qualified pilots — with a Grade 1 flight instructor seated in the right seat and the owner pilot of the aircraft seated in the left seat.

The aircraft had commenced its initial take-off run just before 11.00am, with witnesses reporting that it sounded like one of the engines was hesitating or misfiring during the take-off roll, and with black sooty smoke seen trailing from the right engine.

Once airborne, the aircraft headed for the airfield’s training area. After eight minutes in the training area, the pilot seated on the left broadcast they were inbound to Mareeba and two minutes later broadcast that they were joining crosswind for runway 28. No further transmissions were heard from the aircraft.

An engine was then heard to splutter as the aircraft climbed to between 300 and 450 feet.

Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft touch down on the runway and take off again. An engine was then heard to splutter as the aircraft climbed to between 300 and 450 feet above ground level. The aircraft was next seen above a banana plantation beyond the end of the runway in a right descending turn, before it suddenly rolled right. Witnesses saw the right wing drop to near vertical and the aircraft collided with terrain in a cornfield.

Subsequent examination of the wreckage by ATSB transport safety investigators indicated the aircraft impacted terrain right wingtip first, followed by the nose, and left wingtip. The aircraft then pivoted about the left wing with the fuselage coming to a rest upright.

“The ATSB’s ongoing investigation will focus on further examination of the recovered engines and propellers, maintenance and operational records, aircraft and site survey data, pilot qualifications, experience and medical history, and regulatory requirements for flight reviews,” Dr Stuart Godley, ATSB Director Transport Safety, said.

Dr Godley noted that preliminary reports outline basic factual information established in the early phase of an investigation.
“Preliminary reports do not contain findings, identify contributing factors or outline safety issues and actions,” Dr Godley said. “These will be detailed in an investigation’s final report.”

MTF...P2 

[P7_TOM]

All hat and no cattle.

First heard that expression drawled in the USA, the meaning is fairly clear. It can be adapted to suit, when the inference is that someone is full of it. For example ‘All shirt and no idea’.

Watching the NTSB go to work on a high profile fatal has been a pleasure; watching the NTSB workings on any accident investigation is an educational experience. Low profile cases, even those without a media scrum hounding the NTSB investigators, dealt with expeditiously and fairly. No sign of PR spin, ‘just the facts Ma’am’. The other great point of interest is their ‘timing’ – the record of ‘on-time’ delivery is impressive; nearly as impressive as their full disclosure when there is a delay.

You will note that a NTSB report is not – ever – finalised by the FAA. ATSB on the other hand must go through a multi layer experience: the ‘investigators’ do their thing and draft a report; that goes up the food chain and the PR guru’s soften off the sharp corners, to make an easier turd to pass; that then under the MoU goes to CASA who actually (after a three month hiatus) put the finishing touches to the epistle. Three layers of spin and smoothing – if and when it pleases. Great system – the integrity and probity is awesome. Of course, by the time the whole PR exercise is released, just about everyone bar those left behind have forgotten. Aye, time, patience and pony-pooh neatly combined into a poetically acceptable placebo.

You will note that NTSB hardly ever put a press release until the investigation is complete – even under intense media coverage. The ATSB on the other hand have had a Baby face Godlike creature to contact the media with a something - nothing statement (media release) about an accident which has not as yet been subject to a complete investigation. The pork and talk barrel rules supreme. It smacks of the rampant narcissism evident in the latest party tricks of our very own Hooded Canary – ticks, twitches, glazed eyes, embroidered shirt, wrist strap etc. and all.

No matter. Not only is the press release a month late, it’s say’s nothing of value: for instance-

“Dr Godley noted that preliminary reports outline basic factual information established in the early phase of an investigation”.

Translate – the aircraft lost power in one engine. The other engine could not sustain flight – it crashed. QED. Why, how and what-for not explained. So why the cynical attempt to grab  media attention? Honest ‘tin-kickers’ and national safety authorities must be either (a) appalled; or, (b) amused. The big money is on ‘b’. ATSB is fast becoming a standard joke for some; others are worried that serious accident investigation has become an Australian farce, sinister and pointless. Myself, I’d go for plain old, minister guided, CASA dictated useless.

Scrap the MoU – sack Hood and all who sail with him; bring in someone who can get it done and regain industry confidence in the ATSB.

This ‘accident investigation stuff’ really matters. To deny probity, excellence and timely reporting is; believe it or not, lethal. Check out any company SMS reporting system – all say 'delay' is almost criminal. There are grave penalties for companies who do not make timely, effective changes to a known ‘danger’. The ATSB is no bloody different – in fact they have a higher obligation to meet, which they are currently ducking. Unforgivable – particularly when you consider way ‘they’ used to be’. How far have the mighty fallen? Oh a long, long way.

International embarrassment is one thing; preventing future fatal accidents; a horse of an entirely different colour. FDS.

[Peetwo]

St Hooded Canary blesses aerial work and military aviators - 

Two days ago the Patron Saint of Australian aviation top cover investigations gave his blessing and acknowledgement to the aerial work aviators safely flying many thousands of successful sorties in response to the very testing Aussie 2019-20 Summer of natural disasters:
 

Doing it safely in a time of crisis


With the devastating fires and floods affecting many areas across Australia in recent months, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) acknowledges the valuable contribution by many aviation operators who have safely supported communities in their times of need.

With unprecedented bushfires burning since September 2019, and more recently areas of severe flooding after a week-long down pour of welcoming rain, a high tempo of civil and military aviation activity has provided vital support during these natural disasters.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said pilots from a range of specialist sectors have helped assist impacted areas across the country to get back on their feet.

“I would like to acknowledge the continued safe work being done by so many people in the aviation industry – both civil and military – who have worked together during this unprecedented summer,” Chief Commissioner Hood said. “Flying in the adverse conditions that we’ve seen predominately along our east coast, whether it’s fighting the fires or supporting communities from the floods, is very challenging and with elevated levels of risk.

“As we all mourn the loss of three American aircrew who were tragically killed in late January when their C-130 Hercules collided with terrain at Peak View near Cooma, NSW, it is important for all of us in aviation to continue to safely serve our nation during this period of natural disasters.”

Australians are no strangers to bushfires and floods. The Australian aviation industry has been a part of the national fabric for many years, safely serving the people in rural and regional Australia, as well as those who live in the cities, safely in their times of need.
February 2020 marks the first anniversary of the Far North and North Queensland monsoonal floods, which caused devastation to cattle farmers across rural and regional Queensland.

“Aerial musterers play a vital role in the day to day operations of cattle stations across the top end of Australia,” Chief Commissioner Hood said. “During the floods last February in the northern parts of Queensland, a group of a dozen helicopter pilots from rural and regional Queensland safely supported farmers through this disaster for over a fortnight, even contributing to some of the costs from their own pockets. This is the true Australian spirit to help those in need during a time of crisis, and we are seeing this spirit reflected today.

“It is important to acknowledge the safe flying culture which is instilled in the Australian aviation industry. While the bushfire season is far from over, I would like to remind all pilots to continue to fly within the limits of their aircraft and themselves.”

 

“As we all mourn the loss of three American aircrew who were tragically killed in late January when their C-130 Hercules collided with terrain at Peak View near Cooma, NSW, it is important for all of us in aviation to continue to safely serve our nation during this period of natural disasters.” 

Speaking of which where's the prelim report? 

Collision with terrain involving Lockheed Martin EC-130Q, N134CG, near Peak View, New South Wales, on 23 January 2020


From my calculations it is approaching a week overdue already?

Perhaps HC should forego waltzing around (for no apparent reason) with our useless self-serving NFI Minister...

Michael McCormack dismisses safety concerns about track where train derailed in Victoria



Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack speaks to the media during a press conference at the scene of an XPT train derailment in Wallan North. Source: AAP

...and help his TSI's to get both their investigations and interim/reports completed in accordance with the principles and international obligations as documented in ICAO Annex 13. Maybe he should consider actually doing his job and addressing the findings within both the final report of the 2017 ICAO audit...

AIG: Fully implement the ATSB’s action plan to ensure that all accident and incident investigation reports are completed within the established timelines.

...and the ANAO audit report (ref: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance...ccurrences ).

MTF...P2 

[P7_TOM]

When ‘is’ the right time?

To call in the men in white coats and remove the afflicted to the ‘safe haven’ of a padded cell?

It’s about time someone made the call – there stands (in all his glory) the ‘minister’ for transport, allowing himself to be photo-op’d stood in front of a train wreck which took two lives and only bloody good luck that was all claimed. How duckling dumb to you have to be? Then to stand there and deny there was anything wrong with the railway lines; in the face of contrary, evidence based, expert, and user opinion – is beyond all reason. Way, way beyond.


That, is bad enough all by itself : but look behind the village idiot – there stands our very own hooded canary; looking like the skeleton at the feast. New costume for today though – Hi-viz orange, he sure has an extensive wardrobe. But to what purpose is he stood miserable and twitching behind the village idiot? ATSB are rumoured to be butting out of ‘train-wrecks’ and various other accidents – to make their production rate seem ('statically') higher. But much more to the point – WTD would Hood know about the complex engineering involved in mud holes, ballast or even train driving? SDA is the answer.

Must we always see this clown, dressed to suit the occasion hanging onto the coattails of those who ‘must’ be photographed – in front of a ‘wreck’? Lunacy, hypocrisy or just plain old political horse-pooh? I do have my own opinion -

[P7_TOM]

St Hooded Canary blesses aerial work and military aviators - 

Two days ago the Patron Saint of Australian aviation top cover investigations gave his blessing and acknowledgement to the aerial work aviators safely flying many thousands of successful sorties in response to the very testing Aussie 2019-20 Summer of natural disasters:
 

Doing it safely in a time of crisis


With the devastating fires and floods affecting many areas across Australia in recent months, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) acknowledges the valuable contribution by many aviation operators who have safely supported communities in their times of need.

With unprecedented bushfires burning since September 2019, and more recently areas of severe flooding after a week-long down pour of welcoming rain, a high tempo of civil and military aviation activity has provided vital support during these natural disasters.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said pilots from a range of specialist sectors have helped assist impacted areas across the country to get back on their feet.

“I would like to acknowledge the continued safe work being done by so many people in the aviation industry – both civil and military – who have worked together during this unprecedented summer,” Chief Commissioner Hood said. “Flying in the adverse conditions that we’ve seen predominately along our east coast, whether it’s fighting the fires or supporting communities from the floods, is very challenging and with elevated levels of risk.

“As we all mourn the loss of three American aircrew who were tragically killed in late January when their C-130 Hercules collided with terrain at Peak View near Cooma, NSW, it is important for all of us in aviation to continue to safely serve our nation during this period of natural disasters.”

Australians are no strangers to bushfires and floods. The Australian aviation industry has been a part of the national fabric for many years, safely serving the people in rural and regional Australia, as well as those who live in the cities, safely in their times of need.
February 2020 marks the first anniversary of the Far North and North Queensland monsoonal floods, which caused devastation to cattle farmers across rural and regional Queensland.

“Aerial musterers play a vital role in the day to day operations of cattle stations across the top end of Australia,” Chief Commissioner Hood said. “During the floods last February in the northern parts of Queensland, a group of a dozen helicopter pilots from rural and regional Queensland safely supported farmers through this disaster for over a fortnight, even contributing to some of the costs from their own pockets. This is the true Australian spirit to help those in need during a time of crisis, and we are seeing this spirit reflected today.

“It is important to acknowledge the safe flying culture which is instilled in the Australian aviation industry. While the bushfire season is far from over, I would like to remind all pilots to continue to fly within the limits of their aircraft and themselves.”

 

“As we all mourn the loss of three American aircrew who were tragically killed in late January when their C-130 Hercules collided with terrain at Peak View near Cooma, NSW, it is important for all of us in aviation to continue to safely serve our nation during this period of natural disasters.” 

Speaking of which where's the prelim report? 

Collision with terrain involving Lockheed Martin EC-130Q, N134CG, near Peak View, New South Wales, on 23 January 2020


From my calculations it is approaching a week overdue already?

Perhaps HC should forego waltzing around (for no apparent reason) with our useless self-serving NFI Minister...

Michael McCormack dismisses safety concerns about track where train derailed in Victoria



Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack speaks to the media during a press conference at the scene of an XPT train derailment in Wallan North. Source: AAP

...and help his TSI's to get both their investigations and interim/reports completed in accordance with the principles and international obligations as documented in ICAO Annex 13. Maybe he should consider actually doing his job and addressing the findings within both the final report of the 2017 ICAO audit...

AIG: Fully implement the ATSB’s action plan to ensure that all accident and incident investigation reports are completed within the established timelines.

...and the ANAO audit report (ref: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance...ccurrences ).

MTF...P2 

I'm still Gobsmacked!

All day, torn between laughing out loud at the unbelievable ‘clap-trap’ spouted about a train wreck and deep despair for where this once proud nation is heading. The train wreck has me beat hollow.  There are only three possible scenarios: (i) The wheels fell off the train; (ii) the driver was suicidal, or: (iii) the on going ‘problems’ with the line caused the prang. For a minister to stand in front of the wreckage and declare ‘no blame’ on the line beggars logic.

If a relatively simple event like ‘the reason the inevitable happened’ causes such a rush to a press conference, dragging his ‘chief commissioner’ along behind gives him the nervous Nellie’s what the hell is he going to do about a report like – THIS -? He does realise the 'deep' implications - don't he?

There were four killed just a ‘country mile’ away in a mid air collision – but no ministerial (with suitably attired mutt in tow) to say to the media ‘the track was fine’.

Mendacious obfuscation ? Or is this the new measure of our political power house. Perhaps, maybe, it’s just some fool wanting to grab a headline, any headline – to cover a useless system of ‘safety – on –a-budget’. “Your safety is our prime concern” – BOLLOCKS. Puerile BIPARTINSANE BULLSHIT.

Mental bantamweights in action. Gods save us.

[Peetwo]

St Hooded Canary blesses aerial work and military aviators - 

Two days ago the Patron Saint of Australian aviation top cover investigations gave his blessing and acknowledgement to the aerial work aviators safely flying many thousands of successful sorties in response to the very testing Aussie 2019-20 Summer of natural disasters:
 

Doing it safely in a time of crisis


With the devastating fires and floods affecting many areas across Australia in recent months, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) acknowledges the valuable contribution by many aviation operators who have safely supported communities in their times of need.

With unprecedented bushfires burning since September 2019, and more recently areas of severe flooding after a week-long down pour of welcoming rain, a high tempo of civil and military aviation activity has provided vital support during these natural disasters.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said pilots from a range of specialist sectors have helped assist impacted areas across the country to get back on their feet.

“I would like to acknowledge the continued safe work being done by so many people in the aviation industry – both civil and military – who have worked together during this unprecedented summer,” Chief Commissioner Hood said. “Flying in the adverse conditions that we’ve seen predominately along our east coast, whether it’s fighting the fires or supporting communities from the floods, is very challenging and with elevated levels of risk.

“As we all mourn the loss of three American aircrew who were tragically killed in late January when their C-130 Hercules collided with terrain at Peak View near Cooma, NSW, it is important for all of us in aviation to continue to safely serve our nation during this period of natural disasters.”

Australians are no strangers to bushfires and floods. The Australian aviation industry has been a part of the national fabric for many years, safely serving the people in rural and regional Australia, as well as those who live in the cities, safely in their times of need.
February 2020 marks the first anniversary of the Far North and North Queensland monsoonal floods, which caused devastation to cattle farmers across rural and regional Queensland.

“Aerial musterers play a vital role in the day to day operations of cattle stations across the top end of Australia,” Chief Commissioner Hood said. “During the floods last February in the northern parts of Queensland, a group of a dozen helicopter pilots from rural and regional Queensland safely supported farmers through this disaster for over a fortnight, even contributing to some of the costs from their own pockets. This is the true Australian spirit to help those in need during a time of crisis, and we are seeing this spirit reflected today.

“It is important to acknowledge the safe flying culture which is instilled in the Australian aviation industry. While the bushfire season is far from over, I would like to remind all pilots to continue to fly within the limits of their aircraft and themselves.”

 

“As we all mourn the loss of three American aircrew who were tragically killed in late January when their C-130 Hercules collided with terrain at Peak View near Cooma, NSW, it is important for all of us in aviation to continue to safely serve our nation during this period of natural disasters.” 

Speaking of which where's the prelim report? 

Collision with terrain involving Lockheed Martin EC-130Q, N134CG, near Peak View, New South Wales, on 23 January 2020


From my calculations it is approaching a week overdue already?

Perhaps HC should forego waltzing around (for no apparent reason) with our useless self-serving NFI Minister...

Michael McCormack dismisses safety concerns about track where train derailed in Victoria



Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack speaks to the media during a press conference at the scene of an XPT train derailment in Wallan North. Source: AAP

...and help his TSI's to get both their investigations and interim/reports completed in accordance with the principles and international obligations as documented in ICAO Annex 13. Maybe he should consider actually doing his job and addressing the findings within both the final report of the 2017 ICAO audit...

AIG: Fully implement the ATSB’s action plan to ensure that all accident and incident investigation reports are completed within the established timelines.

...and the ANAO audit report (ref: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance...ccurrences ).

MTF...P2 

I'm still Gobsmacked!

All day, torn between laughing out loud at the unbelievable ‘clap-trap’ spouted about a train wreck and deep despair for where this once proud nation is heading. The train wreck has me beat hollow.  There are only three possible scenarios: (i) The wheels fell off the train; (ii) the driver was suicidal, or: (iii) the on going ‘problems’ with the line caused the prang. For a minister to stand in front of the wreckage and declare ‘no blame’ on the line beggars logic.

If a relatively simple event like ‘the reason the inevitable happened’ causes such a rush to a press conference, dragging his ‘chief commissioner’ along behind gives him the nervous Nellie’s what the hell is he going to do about a report like – THIS -? He does realise the 'deep' implications - don't he?

There were four killed just a ‘country mile’ away in a mid air collision – but no ministerial (with suitably attired mutt in tow) to say to the media ‘the track was fine’.

Mendacious obfuscation ? Or is this the new measure of our political power house. Perhaps, maybe, it’s just some fool wanting to grab a headline, any headline – to cover a useless system of ‘safety – on –a-budget’. “Your safety is our prime concern” – BOLLOCKS. Puerile BIPARTINSANE BULLSHIT.

Mental bantamweights in action. Gods save us.

Thor preliminary report finally out - 

From Ironsider, via the Oz:

---

No cockpit voice recorder audio of fatal bushfire air tanker crash

ROBYN IRONSIDE
Follow @ironsider


The crash site of a C-130 Hercules firefighting aircraft that killed three American men in Australia to help battle bushfires. Picture: NSW Police/ATSB

• 12:33PM FEBRUARY 28, 2020
  
  
• 11 COMMENTS
  

The C-130 water tanker that crashed while helping to battle bushfires in the Snowy Mountains killing three American men on board, had recorded no audio on its cockpit voice recorder since arriving in Australia two months before the fatal mission.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released its preliminary report on the crash on January 23, about 50km northeast of the Cooma-Snowy Mountains Airport.

No distress calls were made before the crash, and the report said the CVR recovered from the crash site was found to contain no audio from the C-130’s final flight.

The last recording was from a flight undertaken in the US, before the C-130’s deployment to Australia.

The report said after leaving the Richmond RAAF base, the aircraft was tasked to drop retardant on the Adaminaby Complex bushfire, but was unable to carry out the drop and was sent to the Good Good fire instead.



Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft complete a number of circuits before completing the drop, at about 200 feet above ground level with a drop time of two seconds.



READ MORE:Bushfire air crash investigation continues|New footage shows crash that killed firefighters



Following the drop, the C-130 was seen to bank left before becoming obscured by smoke. After 15-seconds, the aircraft was seen “flying at a very low height above the ground in a left wing attitude”, the report said.



“Shortly after, at about 1.16pm, the aircraft collided with terrain and a post-impact fuel-fed fire ensued. The three crew were fatal injured and the aircraft was destroyed,” the report said.



At the time, visibility was down to 2000m, and there was severe turbulence below 5000 ft above ground level.
ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood said the question of why the CVR did not record any audio, would form part of the investigation.


The catastrophic crash of the C-130 Hercules killed three US crewmen. Picture: NSW Police / ATSB



“Audio from cockpit voice recorders often play an important role in aircraft accident investigations, however, our investigators do have a range of other evidence, including witness videos, at their disposal in building a comprehensive understanding of the accident sequence,” Mr Hood said.



Initial examinations of the site, damage to surrounding vegetation and ground markings, indicated that the aircraft initially impacted a tree in a left wing down attitude, before colliding with the ground, he said.



The ongoing investigation would consider environmental influences, the crew’s qualifications, experience and medical information, the nature of aerial firefighting operations and operating policies and procedures.



“An investigation of this nature and complexity may take more than 18 months to complete,” Mr Hood said.

“However, should any safety critical information be discovered at any time during the investigation, we will immediately notify operators and regulators, and make that publicly known.”



The men killed included captain Ian McBeth, first officer Paul Clyde Hudson and flight engineer Rick deMorgan Jr.



A statement from Coulson Aviation which was operating the aircraft under contract to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, welcomed the preliminary report.



CEO Wayne Coulson said it provided some understanding of the events leading up to the crash.



“We are continuing to work with the ATSB, and we are providing every assistance to them as part of the investigations. It’s important for us, for our team and for the families of those we’ve lost, to understand what happened that day,” he said.


“We recognise that this preliminary report is just the start and further review of the information available will help form a better picture of what occurred, and what can be learned from this tragedy.”

---

And via the Hooded Canary's ATCB:

ATSB releases C-130 large air tanker accident preliminary report


The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released the preliminary report from its ongoing investigation into the collision with terrain of a Lockheed C-130 large air tanker during aerial firefighting operations north-east of Cooma, NSW on 23 January 2020, in which three aircrew were fatally injured.

The preliminary report details basic factual information established in the investigation’s early evidence collection phase, including the accident’s sequence of events, wreckage and impact information, and weather details. The preliminary report also confirms that ATSB data recovery analysts were able to successfully download the C-130’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

“Although the recorder assembly was damaged in the accident, ATSB investigators were able to successfully recover all the data from the CVR’s crash protected memory module,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood.

“However, unfortunately the CVR had not recorded any audio from the accident flight. Instead, all recovered audio was from a previous flight when the aircraft was operating in the United States.”

The aircraft had been in Australia since November 2019, and why the CVR did not record the accident flight will be considered as part of the ongoing investigation.

“Audio from cockpit voice recorders often play an important role in aircraft accident investigations, however, our investigators do have a range of other evidence, including witness videos, at their disposal in building a comprehensive understanding of the accident sequence,” Chief Commissioner Hood said.

As the investigation continues, the ATSB will complete its teardown and inspection of the aircraft’s engines and propellers; review the aircraft’s maintenance history, and performance and handling characteristics; analyse witness reports; and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the accident impact sequence with the use of 3D drone mapping and video analysis of witness videos.

“The ATSB’s on-site examination of the wreckage, damage to the surrounding vegetation, and ground markings indicated that the aircraft initially impacted a tree in a left wing down attitude, before colliding with the ground,” Mr Hood said.

The investigation will also consider environmental influences; the crew’s qualifications, experience and medical information; the nature of aerial fire-fighting operations; and operating policies and procedures.

“ATSB preliminary reports do not contain findings, identify contributing factors or outline safety issues and actions, which will be detailed in an investigation’s final and any interim reports,” Mr Hood said.



“An investigation of this nature and complexity may take more than 18 months to complete.

“However, should any safety critical information be discovered at any time during the investigation, we will immediately notify operators and regulators, and make that publicly known.”

Mr Hood again extended his sympathies to those affected by this accident.

“On behalf of the ATSB, I convey our sympathies to the families and friends of the three aircrew who lost their lives in this accident in the service of others,” Mr Hood said.

“The ATSB would also like to acknowledge the support of the NSW Police Force, the NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire and Rescue, the Australian Defence Force in facilitating safe access to an active fire ground and supporting our on-site investigation team. We also acknowledge and thank the warm-hearted support of the communities of Peak View and Cooma during the ATSB’s extensive on-site deployment.”

Read the preliminary report AO-2020-007: Collision with terrain involving Lockheed EC130Q, N134CG, 50 km north-east of Cooma-Snowy Mountains Airport (near Peak View), NSW, on 23 January 2020

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

O&O report: AI-2018-010 - The approval processes for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre 

Via the Oz:

---

Essendon Airport report delays slammed

ROBYN IRONSIDE
Follow @ironsider



The aftermath of the DFO crash on February 21, 2017. Picture: Jason Edwards

• 12:00AM FEBRUARY 7, 2020
  
  
• NO COMMENTS
  

An investigation into the building approvals process for land at Essendon Airport is taking almost twice as long as the plane crash investigation that triggered it.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau began its examination of the approvals process for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre almost three years ago, after the crash of a King Air B200 into the DFO building on February 21, 2017.

All five people aboard the charter flight to King Island — pilot Max Quartermain and four American tourists — were killed in the incident.

The final report on the crash was released in September 2018, but more than a year later the related investigation into the potential hazard posed by buildings around the airport is still going.
Information obtained by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots under freedom of information laws showed the draft report was actually released to “interested parties” in November 2018.

Subsequently the investigator-in-charge contacted the coroner, saying the final report was due to be released in mid-December.

But that date came and went and more than a year later, AFAP is still waiting for the ATSB to release the report. In a letter to ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood, AFAP safety and technical officer Julian Smibert sought an explanation.

“During these delays in the publication of the report, development at Essendon Airport has continued unabated, including further construction within the OLS (obstacle limitation surface) and the narrowing of the runway in order to facilitate more construction,” Mr Smibert wrote.

“In addition the maximum permitted mass of aircraft using the airport has been increased from 45 to 50 tonnes, despite the reduction in runway width.”

The ATSB’s investigation summary showed the report on the approvals process was now due to be released by the end of next month.

An ATSB spokesman said the report had been delayed by detailed feedback from directly involved parties that prompted more discussion.

“A second draft of the investigation report incorporating and addressing feedback from all parties was provided to them on 30 September 2019,” he said.

The process was made more complex by the fact the approval process was put in place nearly 20 years ago, he added.

On 21 February 2017, a building that is part of the Essendon Airport Bulla Road Precinct retail centre was struck by a Beechcraft King Air B200 (VH-ZCR). The ATSB’s preliminary report for this accident was published in March 2017. This preliminary report stated that the approval process for this building would be a matter for further investigation.

The building was part of the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre development, which was proposed by the lessee of Essendon Airport in 2003 and approved by the Federal Government in 2004.

Due to the specialist nature of the approval process and airspace issues attached to the retail centre development, and not to delay the final report into the accident from February 2017, the ATSB has decided to investigate this matter separately.

The investigation will examine the building approval process from an aviation safety perspective, including any airspace issues associated with the development, to determine the transport safety impact of the development on aviation operations at Essendon Airport.

A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, relevant parties will be immediately notified so that appropriate safety action can be taken.

---

Hmm...maybe this might help explain the delay...


Ref: https://auntypru.com/setting-the-odds-and-playing-em/

While trolling the Hooded Canary's ATCB website, I happened to come across the following interesting and somewhat disturbing FOI disclosure log entry which I gather was the original released documents from the AFAP FOI request (article above) :  FOI 19-20(1) documents

All emails, letters and other communications between the ATSB and external parties – including but not limited to DIPs – pertaining to the release of ATSB investigation AI-2018-010: The approval processes for the Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre from 1 November 2018 to present day.

 
Extract from the released documents:

---

---

From that we can deduce that AI-2018-010:

...a) has been suspended at the DRAFT report/DIP and/or Final Report approval process for nearly 16 months; and
b) that the Victorian Coroner is now (since November 2018) a directly interested party to this investigation.

"...An ATSB spokesman said the report had been delayed by detailed feedback from directly involved parties that prompted more discussion..."

This begs the question is the Coroner's inquest and subsequent parallel findings the reason why this report has been severely O&O'd?


MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

Ironsider, via the Oz:

Seventh crash extends horror run, pressure on investigators

ROBYN IRONSIDE
AVIATION WRITER
@ironsider

5:06PM MARCH 12, 2020


ATSB transport safety investigators examine the wreckage of a Piper Seminole near Mangaolore Airport, Victoria last month. Picture: ATSB

The crash of a charter flight at Lockhart River this week, killing all five men on board, was Australia’s seventh fatal plane crash this year.

Just 10 weeks into 2020, 18 people have lost their lives in aviation incidents, compared with 21 deaths for the whole of 2019.

Wednesday’s crash followed on from last month’s mid-air collision at Mangalore in Victoria that killed four people, including two flight training instructors and two student pilots, and the January 23 tragedy involving a C-130 bomber that claimed the lives of three Americans.

Two brothers died in the crash of a Wittman Tailwind in Tooloom National Park on January 12, and a Brisbane couple lost their lives when a Cessna 182 crashed in Moreton Bay on January 22. There have also been two single fatality crashes involving sports aircraft.

The tragic spate of accidents has not only raised concerns about safety standards within the aviation industry but placed significant pressure on the agency responsible for crash investigations, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

As well as examining five of the fatal plane crashes, the ATSB has another 145 “active” investigations under way, the bulk of which are aviation incidents, along with 41 marine and rail accidents.

An ATSB spokesman said the higher than typical number of incidents this year had placed an increased load on their 60 transport safety investigators, but they were managing.

“The agency will work to prioritise its investigatory workload within its current staffing and budgetary resourcing,” he said.

“The ATSB has not sought additional resources from government at this time, nor does it anticipate doing so.”

But former Civil Aviation Safety Authority chairman and veteran pilot Dick Smith said the amount of time being taken to complete each investigation was not helping to improve safety.

“They take so long to come out with their answers instead of very urgently within the first two weeks saying ‘here is the problem, we want it addressed’,” Mr Smith said.

“What they do is they don’t address it. They’ll take two years to bring out a report and by that time it’s forgotten by the media.”

With a worrying number of crashes involving “collisions with terrain” often in bad weather, it seemed imperative to look at ways of increasing instrument-rated pilots, he said.

“CASA and the ATSB tell pilots ‘don’t fly into cloud’ instead of saying ‘let’s get more pilots instrument-rated’,” Mr Smith said.

“Unfortunately CASA has made it so difficult and so expensive for a private pilot to gain an instrument rating, people don’t get one.”

He said as few as 18 per cent of private pilots were instrument rated in Australia, compared to 70 per cent in the US.

“As a result, most people fly around without an instrument rating and then fly into a mountain,” said Mr Smith.

“But the ATSB and CASA tell us the fatalities are just an unfortunate anomaly even though we’ve got less people flying then before.”

A CASA spokesman confirmed the number of crashes in the year to date was higher than the trend for the previous five years.

But he said there was “no obvious correlation between the seven fatal accidents as they covered a variety of different activities and aviation sectors, including charter air transport, aerial firefighting, flight training, private training and sport aviation”.

“In line with normal procedures, CASA is reviewing all safety and regulatory matters regarding the Victorian midair collision, the NSW firefighting collision with terrain and Wednesday’s Cessna 404 accident in Lockhart River,” the spokesman said.

The ATSB spokesman said they were confident the identification and communication of critical safety issues was not being delayed due to the workload.

“The ATSB stresses that raising awareness of safety issues is not dependent on the publication of an investigation’s final report,” he said.

The last time the ATSB sought additional funding from the government was in 2016-17.

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