[Peetwo]

Is Chester making Recreational Aviation sector a political football?  

I am not privy to what is going on amongst the Alphabets - see LMH last week - but it would seem that RAAus is in the miniscule's favour and therefore in ascendancy within the Alphabet's.

The latest revelation that (the other self-professed ministerial 'canary in the coal mine') the ATSB will, when time and resources permit, provide investigatory support to the recreational alphabets in carrying out accident investigations, sounds like a proactive initiative. However I am not totally convinced that Chester doesn't have ulterior motives and this RAAus olive branch is merely a cover for political leverage in the argy bargy world of Federal vs State politics...          

Via the Oz today:

ATSB flags investigation role in recreational sector

There is increasing pressure for ATSB involvement in sport and recreational flying.

• Annabel Hepworth
  
• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM September 8, 2017
  [img=0x0]https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/d4b891a093ad6ddc703117011dc4fd61/?esi=true&t_product=the-australian&t_template=s3/austemp-article_common/vertical/author/widget&td_bio=false[/img]
  

The nation’s transport safety ­investigator has foreshadowed it could potentially get involved in more investigations into safety matters involving sport and recreation planes.

In its new corporate plan, the Australian Transport Safety ­Bureau says there is an “increasing expectation from some industry advocates and coroners that the ATSB become more ­involved with investigations in the sport and recreation sector”.

“Resources permitting, the ATSB may become involved where there is significant third-party risk and a high likelihood of identifying contributing factors that are not generally well understood.”

Recreational aviation includes ultralight planes, motorised gliders, gyrocopters, paragliders and powered parachutes.

The position is in line with the government’s response to the 2014 Aviation Safety Regulation Review that the ATSB investigate accidents involving the sector on an “exception basis” where there were resources.

Since May 2014 the ATSB has investigated or has provided technical assistance to 11 incidents and accidents involving sport and recreational aircraft. As well, the body has researched ­engine failures and malfunctions in light planes, both VH and recreation­ally registered.

Earlier this year ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood said the growth in recreational flying, coupled with growing awareness of reporting requirements, had seen the number of safety incidents reported to the ATSB increase more than tenfold between 2006 and 2015.

Under the current system, sport and recreational flying have “self-administering” bodies responsible for safety matters, although police and coroners might also be involved in investigations.

Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) chairman Michael Monck said his group had to “foot the bill” when it transported people to investigate fatalities.

“Obviously we have to foot the bill,” Mr Monck said. “We are happy to accept the responsibility. We would love financial support and we value the support we ­receive from the ATSB.”

Beyond “boots-on-the-ground type support”, the group wants support “in relation to the actual ability to investigate an accident”.

Specifically, it is after the standing or authority to help ­investigate accidents under the Transport Safety Investigation Act.

“If the ATSB elects to investigate an accident, they have every right to walk into the accident scene and conduct an investigation. This is the part where we struggle because we don’t. We don’t have any legal powers. So we basically attend the accident at the pleasure of the police or the coroner depending on who owns the investigation.’’

RAAus told the government’s aviation safety review in 2014 that the ATSB had “considerable ­resources and authority” compared to itself.

Australian Sports Aviation Confederation president Mike Close welcomed the comments in the ATSB’s corporate plan, saying that “an extra pair of eyes, experienced eyes, is invaluable”.

The Australian Sport Rotorcraft Association, which told the Forsyth review that the cost of investigating gyro accidents was a major financial burden on the ­organisation, pointed to concerns about funding.

ASRA president Rick Elliott said his organisation was in the process of developing a formal ­arrangement with NSW Police for when it helps investigate accidents, which he said could prove a “big win” for both sides.

“We have the expertise to be able to help investigate accidents,” Mr Elliott said.
“Our biggest problem is that there is no funding for it.”

He said that if more investigations were required, there would need to be extra funding from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

“We are a volunteer organisation,” he said.

The 2014 review recommended that the ATSB investigate as many fatal accidents in sport and recreational aviation as its resources would allow.

MTF...P2 

Ayup; once the accident/incident count gets up toward 200 per annum; may be it's time to take a hand and have the ATSB actually do something - useful - just for a change., P7 edit::::