[Peetwo]

Chester blinded by CASA Iron Ring mystique -

On Skidmore's 'just culture' bollocks:

CASA & 'just culture'  -

..Now back to what is IMO the central issue to Ben's article that is now causing debate & contention in the ensuing commentary. 

First the background. Ben Sandilands has witnessed for many decades the administration of the Oz aviation safety system being manipulated, obfuscated, abused, historically tarnished, neglected etc..etc; by a rampant, seemingly untouchable bureaucracy that governments of either colour totally abscond from proper oversight or governance.

So naturally, like much of industry (refer ASRR report), Ben's trust quotient & 'bollocks' alert will be rapidly pinging when it comes to the regulator making comments like..

"...We also have system based on just culture to ensure open reports such as are made to the ATSB and mistakes rectified..."  

Until proven otherwise "just culture" & CASA in the same sentence will be met with much scepticism from an industry (including some aviation journos) that have been bullied, belittled, badgered and embuggerised by the "Iron Ring" big "R" regulator and supporting department for the best part of three decades...

Seaview...Lockhart...PelAir cover-up...Mildura Fog duck-up...VARA ATR bird strike abberration...the list & the bollocks continue - miniscule Chester please take note of what IMO is the most important part of Ben's article:

The new Minister Darren Chester is meeting the grass roots aviation industry in Tamworth this Friday, one hopes before the government goes into caretaker mode on the calling of a general election.

It is an important meeting. It is also important for the Minister to note that his predecessors were treated with arrogant contempt by his department in relation to aviation matters and public safety, and that taking visible control of his portfolio and remembering he is a representative of the people, not unaccountable bureaucrats or corporate entities, is a prerequisite for being held in respect.

 
VH-NJI in-flight fire damage



Source: Jason Grimmett

Gotta wonder where all those bits happened to land -

&..

An outbreak of Just Culture.

I don’t know why, although I shouldn’t be, but I’m always surprised when I see a ‘report’ on the TV about something I know a bit about which is waste of good resources and not quite right.  Four Corners I find I can believe and accept the points made, and so it was with Foreign Correspondent until last evening.  If other FC stories are reliant on such ‘expert’ commentary, then you have to wonder just how ‘real’ their other ‘tales’ are.  FWIW they lost me, for ever; not that it will keep ‘em awake nights.  Every time I happen to see a FC story from now on the ‘bollocks’ meter will register full scale.  How any intelligent producer for the national broadcaster could base story line, research and commentary to an important aviation disaster on the likes of GT has me beat.  It’s a shame, because the message gets lost; there are (or were) important, serious matters related to passenger safety which must be addressed lost in the shabby, pointless little exhibition broadcast last evening.  

Not only do we get Thomas, but Gibson to boot.  I had to laugh – just culture indeed.  CASA would not know ‘just culture’ if it jumped up and bit ‘em on the arse, but suddenly, overnight, miraculously ‘just culture’ is here, live and real.  Bollocks.  The only reason Cobham is not being prosecuted is that to prove their case CASA would be taking on a fairly hefty, well supported operation which could, and rightfully would vigorously defend their argument – and probably win.  So just culture is trotted out into the smoke and mirrors to score some cheap brownie points in an attempt to stem the internal haemorrhaging.  There are no depths to which the new DAS and his ducking ‘tiger team’ will not descend in order to convince the political halfwits, all is well.

I note this outbreak of ‘just culture’ has not been extended to any of the cases currently being prosecuted by CASA; take the CEO of Barrier Air for example.  Not only were CASA very happy to destroy his business on some of the most dodgy grounds I have ever read. But one man, with an axe to grind decided that was not enough.  Killen was harried from pillar to post and back again; business, health, self respect and money – all gone.  Still not enough, he’s back in court, defending himself against ‘criminal’ charges.  So much for ‘just’ culture. It is becoming a marked feature of the current regime; the smiling crocodile, sizing up it’s next juicy morsel, playing nice while the grown up’s are watching, all the while planning to snatch a child, by stealth the moment backs are turned and making sure someone else takes the blame.  CASA won’t challenge the Indonesians, even if the politicians would allow it.  Nope, cowardice wears a new cloak – ‘just’ culture.  Ayup - but Just when it suits them though.

Yours in vomit: 'K'.

Toot toot.

Following on from K's post (above) & the Foreign Correspondent story, 'the New Daily' online publication regurgitated the ABC online article - ‘These airlines should be banned in Australia’.

Some of the comments are extremely insightful, especially the last from Capable Cate who seems to have intimate knowledge in regards to the Lockhart River air disaster & usual lack of oversight by CASA...

OldPom • 5 hours ago

Aviation is no longer an area where a few wealthy and many business and political passengers can pay for and demand high standards of operation and safety. Even the 'better' airlines now have subsidiary cheaper airlines for the vast number of ordinary mortals who nowadays want to fly. But can only afford the cattle class amenities and shoddy maintenance . Be suspicious, be very suspicious, if the fares are low so are the standards. Third hand aircraft older than you are, tiny knee space, overbooking to ensure no empty seats, long delays at airports by using too few aircraft to operate on too tight schedules. Cancelled flights when it all gets too much and the proverbial hits the fan. Gone are the days of care. Does bribery and corruption only exist in Indonesia ? Now it is 'profit rules.'


ArghONaut • 18 hours ago

Australia is open for business and for any dodgy airline or political party. Trust them, no regulation or integrity commission needed. 


Glen Paton • 3 hours ago

Australia’s aviation watchdog is CASA BUT who is CASA's watchdog?


CapableCate • 6 hours ago

Would have to agree with you ArghONaut. CASA has a dubious record too. Lockhart River disaster 11 years ago springs to mind, when the Metroliner concerned, along with the rest of fleet owned by that company, could have prevented the crash by simply spending less than $100 per unit on an aid for the solo pilots when flying in 'blind' situations. Along with the ridiculous air traffic control rules, that 'dictate air traffic control can no longer direct below 8,500 feet', and in small regional airfields, in the absence of 'fully fledged radio operator/s', pilots are left on their own.

"(Dick) Smith says that if ground staff at the small Lockhart River airport in Cape York, who were not air traffic controllers, had been required to have standard radio contact with approaching aircraft, 15 people might not have died when a Fairfield Metroliner crashed into a mountain while approaching the airfield in bad weather in May 2005.

The manager of the airport, Manfred Kranabetter, who was at Lockhart River when the crash occurred, says that had the pilot contacted ground staff as part of a standard routine they could have told the pilot that a mountain on his intended approach was obscured by cloud."

At the time, I also remember a number (8?) of Senior Pilots who had reported the company that owned that aircraft, to CASA for investigation, over a period of years prior to the crash. There were concerns about their priority of cost cutting over safety with regard to routes too, as in the case of Lockhart River, that mountain approach should never have been made, especially in those weather conditions, and with a solo pilot lacking the number of hours necessary to handle flying on instruments only, without any air traffic control support.

It would seem that CASA's standards haven't improved if happy with Indonesia's airlines maintenance & safety records.

   
Wake up Chester!!!??? Like your predecessors, you're being blind-sided by your own bureaucrats...   


MTF...P2