[P7_TOM]

Disgrace? –Oh,  lots to be shared. Methinks..

Gentle:- “Sterle is a disgrace…”

Gentle's opinion of Sterle is one shared by many, but considering Sterle was a low number in the pre selection (four from memory) perhaps his choices were simple. Toe the party line or, back to driving a rig – tough game is politics. Given the Albo governments track record through the last three iterations; it would be reasonable to assume that little has changed in their 'interest' in and attitude toward aviation. Albo's fuel levy is still alive and well today, mind you, the other crowd kept it on as well – so little credit to either side in that.

“Shambollic' best describes the aviation section of the last little Estimates pantomime. It was indeed a cheap, shoddy, crudely staged affair, produced and directed by Sterle, on behalf of his masters. Fooled non of the 'season ticket' holders. For starters the time the gig was on – the time allotted for questions and answers – questions which needed to be 'refined' into an effective cause for serious change were short cut and sent into the void of 'on notice'. Problem with that is little 'follow up' and even less further 'investigation'.

The thing that really 'gets my goat' is the total lack of 'respect' shown to the Estimates panel. For example; they\ the Senator wanted the CASA PMO – front and centre – they got a used car salesman in a cheap suit. They wanted the DAS to know who was and is on the CASA board. ASA in serious trouble, led by an accountant and a fool in another cheap suit. ATSB floundering, led by a fool the Gods wish to destroy (Quos Deus vult perdere prius dementat) and the most likely candidate to cause an international audit – six (thankfully) short minutes which precluded the changing of feet while mouth open.

Estimates is supposed to be 'probing' and examining 'why' and 'how' things are not working as they should; is it resources – can do: is it government policy – can discuss – is it dysfunctional – can change - :: all at the drop of a hat. But no; all the nation gets for its money is that expensive, counterproductive waste of time which achieved absolutely Sweet Fanny Adams of intrinsic or practical  value to the tax paying public. Nada.

Sterle has shamed this nation, the parliament and achieved only more delay, more disinterest and much, much more wriggle room for those who have not only failed the aviation industry but get paid handsomely to do so - by the tax payer and industry. Don't cost Albo one green cent WTD...

Shame on the whole lot – disgraceful? Indeed it is and guess who foots the bill?   

Chair: "thank you, Mr Harfield, and your officers. It is a terribly damning headline when you read that, so I thank you very much for clearing that up for us."  = = Really? Seriously?


BOLLOCKS.

[Peetwo]

In another hemisphere: US Senator Ted Budd - Solid GOLD! 

Courtesy Forbes, via Youtube: 

Shades of Fawcett perhaps??

MTF...P2 

Addendum: Ted Cruz...  

[Peetwo]

In another hemisphere: US Senator Ted Budd - Solid GOLD! 

Courtesy Forbes, via Youtube: 

Shades of Fawcett perhaps??

MTF...P2 

Addendum: Ted Cruz...  

Addendum II, via AvWeb:

Cruz Pushes Nolen For FAA Administrator

By Russ Niles -Published:March 8, 2023



Sen. Ted Cruz says Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen would be a slam dunk to take the permanent appointment if the Biden administration nominated him. Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which is reviewing the nomination of Phil Washington to the post, has stridently opposed the appointment, citing Washington’s relative lack of aviation experience. He’s currently CEO of Denver International Airport but most of his experience since he retired from the Army 20 years ago has been in public transit.

Nolen had a long career as an American Airlines pilot before becoming its manager of flight safety. He also served in senior executive posts for Airlines for America, Qantas and WestJet in an aviation career spanning 33 years. He joined the FAA as its associate administrator for aviation safety. “I think it’s clear that Phil Washington is not going to have the votes,” Cruz said. “I think a nominee like Acting Administrator Nolen would receive widespread bipartisan support and could get confirmed quickly.” Meanwhile, previous FAA Administrators Michael Huerta and Jane Garvey have signed a letter of support for Washington, saying “he has the necessary experience to be administrator,” and Nolen himself has voiced his endorsement of Washington’s appointment.

Nolen was back before lawmakers to address growing concerns about the number of runway incursions involving airliners in recent weeks. The most recent revelation is of a Feb. 16 incident at Sarasota-Bradenton airport in which an Air Canada Rouge A321 was cleared for takeoff while an American Boeing 737 was cleared to land on the same runway. He said the FAA is investigating every incident “as if it had been an actual event” and that the agency is fully engaged on the issue. “The FAA absolutely has a grasp on the situation and it’s something that we look at every day,” Nolen told reporters. “We’ll take a look at these near misses and see if there are lessons to be learned.” Nolen has organized a meeting of industry officials next week to discuss safety issues.

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

Budget Estimates: Popinjay & AMSA dodge Senate Estimates - WTD?? 

Finally the last Senate Committee (the Sterle led RRAT committee) today published their Budget Estimates program for next week: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus...t_hearings

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Notable absences to the program are the Popinjay led ATSB and the Mr Kinley led AMSA?? 

Considering the current shambolic clusterduck that is the ATSB on AAI and the seemingly disinterested Federal marine regulator's oversight of the Transdev and DCV safety issues in the Sydney Harbour puddle, I would of thought that both Federal agencies should be front and centre at Budget Estimates?? - FFS!   

Theory 1: Perhaps the Betts led Dept of Duck Up Fairy's has decided to circumvent the Popinjay and Kinley numpties within the department itself??

(See 5:30pm program entry)

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Theory 2: Or is this the first sign of the (Carolyn Walsh led) Federal policy takeover bid of the regulation and safety investigation of all things that move within the Commonwealth of Australia kicking into gear? 

MTF...P2 

[Gentle]

Watched the Senate Estimates - Road Transport

Bett’s boys and girls …. God help us… like an episode of Utopia…

Sandy, appreciate all you’ve written re bringing CASA, AsA and ATSB “back into the department”

But seriously how can it be any better than the current “detachment” and believe me I know how bad it is…

Perhaps we need a third way, and sigh! Some places overseas may have better processes.??

[Gentle]

Monday’s RRAT comedy morphed into Tuesday’s farce.

Cringeworthy stuff….Watching Senator Bridget pulling wings off flies and burning ants with magnifying glass and solar power….

CASA / AsA so lucky that the Inland Rail is such a disaster…no one else can be that bad!

Less time for AsA/CASA to be tickled with a feather!

Sigh

[Peetwo]

Pup_Spence & Harfwit Estimate sessions - 

I strongly agree with your sentiments Gentle, however FWIW here are the ASA and CASA sessions in pictures... :

MTF...P2 

[Gentle]

P2, thanks for the relevant videos….

Some thoughts…for some reason I’m not optimistic but I stilll have hope…?

[Though from Ted Lasso it’s the hope that kills you!! Hmm the hopeless naivety of a mythical English Premiership League club probably matches the fantasies of 90 % of the posts on this website )

BELIEVE

Reviewing the whole comedy/farce…( Estimates not Lasso )

I’m assuming CASA’s Vertiport concept will already have a solution for what went wrong at SeaWorld? No, oh what a surprise?

I used both buckets on reading the pathetic ATSB white paper submission… using their investigation into MNG investigation as world’s best prectice when I am proposing it as an example for the “three” (CASA/AsA/ATSB) be referred to the NACC..

(Thanks for the submission links . )

It will eventually come to light what a joke ONESKY is . . . Thank you … AsA and Civil Air.  

Maybe Senator Smith could be appointed to oversee a Royal Commission into the “three”.

Haven’t seen a Senator have the skill to wade through the bull$%#& of an ATSB report since Fawcett / Xenophon…

Pure Gold!

[Peetwo]

Senator (White paper - ) White politicises Women in Aviation Program - WTD?  (don't forget the 20 cents)



Via Youtube: 

Senator White's (as an official member of the RRAT Committee - GOD HELP OUR INDUSTRY! -   ) response to that: 

The Senate and it's Committees is supposed to be above partisan politics, yet here we have a clear example of a totally politically biased Senator (which doesn't make sense by definition) that is running an agenda of politicising the House of Review Budget Estimates. 

MTF...P2 

PS Would never have happened in Heffernan's day - 

[Kharon]

Its not too often a 'real' fact escapes the pantomime of Senate Estimates; a fact which would (or should) give the average Jack and Jill struggling up the hill to keep their pail of water topped up food for thought (and possibly a small, elegant revolution).

Watch it  - HERE - before you do your tax – this year..

[Peetwo]

Senator McDonald Adjournment Speech - 13/06/23: Air Safety Torres Strait

Previous reference:

Hansard out; Senator McDonald drills into Torres Straits airstrip embargo?? -    

CASA Hansard - HERE

Via Youtube:

(From 40:18 minutes) 

Here we go again - Ref: Proaviation - A skilfully mismanaged stuffup - Su_Spence and her WOFTAM mob of executive trough feeders in their lofty offices at Aviation Hearse, dictating to the isolated regional communities of the Torres Strait how their essential air services, are to be operated safely - UDB! 

"..You are right around the length of time that they've been operating. It wouldn't be 20 years with the Caravan.."

By the way Pup_Spence the Caravan has been safely operated in the Torres Straits for 30 years..

Last night in the Senate...

Air Safety: Torres Strait



Senator McDONALD (Queensland) (19:32): Tonight I rise with a heavy heart, because three weeks ago I raised with CASA the very serious situation of no passenger air services to Darnley and M... (I believe that is meant to read: Mabuiag) islands as a result of CASA regulation. Despite there being no incidents reported on the airstrips on those islands, CASA closed the strips to commercial flights and withdrew the ability for these community members to affordably travel by air between islands.

Instead, residents were forced into dinghies—dinghies!—on notoriously dangerous waters inhabited by crocodiles and sharks. On 19 April the Torres Strait Islander Regional Council met with CASA and asked them to allow an exemption for the airline to land of these strips—island strips that this company had been landing on for the past 20 years without incident. As usual, CASA gave a bureaucratic response that did not identify what the problem actually was that it was solving. Nor did they offer a solution for the remote community to continue accessing commercial air travel, leaving people to traverse these treacherous waters in boats. No pathway was undertaken for the airline to receive an approval. Instead, they are undertaking landing trials with weights, which CASA may or may not consider.

Underscoring the confusion of CASA's conduct is the fact that the same planes being banned from commercial operations on the islands could still use the strips in a private capacity. Just take a moment to comprehend that. Commercial rules are understandably stricter than private rules, but you can see how industry participants and passengers get frustrated: the same planes and the same airstrips, but different rules.

Three weeks ago, I asked the representing minister, Assistant Minister Anthony Chisholm: do you think that, for the two islands that have no passenger service going into them, this is a good outcome? His response was that the islands could apply for some funding for the airstrips to be upgraded. I asked the CEO of CASA to make sure the minister was briefed on the issue of there being no passenger service for these two islands. I wonder if that has happened, because the very worst news has been advised. Yesterday, after a four-day search for Wendy Richardson, the search was called off. I knew Wendy. The last time we met, we discussed her father, Sir Robert Norman, the acclaimed pioneer of regional aviation in the cape. Sir Robert saw the importance of providing an aerial service in the north for isolated communities at a time when aviation was overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Wendy's loss is the exclamation point on years of conduct by CASA which has my phone running hot with complaints every single week. I grew up in a time when aviation was easily accessible and was a reliable way to conquer the tyranny of distance we experience in this country, especially in northern Australia. I remember local shows and events having not just automobiles in the car park but dozens of light planes. It seemed that everyone in North Queensland flew or knew someone who flew. Now flying is reserved for people who have a lot of money or who have the patience and fortitude to navigate the mountains of regulation imposed on them by CASA—regulations which many participants point out make no improvements to safety but discourage flying and cruelly punish minor indiscretions and which the big players can afford to implement but which force smaller carriers to pay to retrain staff, replace equipment that is functioning perfectly and change work operations they've used for years without incident.

No-one is blaming CASA for Wendy Richardson's death, but I want assurances that air travel will be restored to these islands immediately. In the meantime, flight companies should be provided with exemptions that will allow them to continue operations until more permanent fixtures are in place. I say that because no-one—and I mean no-one—in Australia should be forced to cross open sea in a dinghy because our air safety regulations force them out of the sky and into an open boat.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

ASRR submission 172 and 24 years of safe Torres Strait Aviation Ops!! -  

Read and reflect on this ASRR submission, courtesy of (legend) Rod Bencke...

Reference: 172 Mr Rodney Bencke PDF: 139 KB

Relevant extract: 

Any other safety related matters

I hope this is not too ‘in the weeds’ for such a high level panel. A little background. Australia is a very large country with a very small population, similar to Canada or Africa. While most of our legislation must be almost identical to that of the major ICAO nations there are areas where this will not hold true. One of those is legislation for air transport operations which are conducted predominantly in remote areas and in small aeroplanes. The proposed legislation that covers such operations is what I spent many years considering - Part 135. During that time I was also given the task of sorting out, with an airworthiness maintenance expert, the air transport operations in the Torres Strait and Far North Queensland. At the time all passenger carrying operations had been suspended by CASA, the year was 1999. The job took almost a year and during that time I devised and then actioned the process to convert 3 charter operators into RPT operators while they were permitted to restart and continue normal operations. We were also to more closely oversight all aviation activities in the area. What we found when we arrived there was almost unbelievable. During that year I learned a great deal about the problems of conducting safe air operations in the outback. By the time we left we had 3 RPT operators and one on the way, but with much still to accomplish. That year’s experiences would make an excellent book and TV series, although it may have a negative effect on the flying population! This experience reinforced in me the absolute belief that if flight operations are to be carried out in remote places, legislation must be devised that more closely balances the necessity of such transport with the types of safety rules required and the affordability of such a transport medium. It also needs more thought by Commonwealth and State governments in relation to infrastructure support, but this is outside the scope of your inquiry. Appropriate safety legislation for remote area operations which predominantly use small aeroplanes requires some thought outside the usually accepted square, but absolute safety outcomes need not be compromised as a result.

I know from personal experience how thorough RB's regulatory oversight and special implementation of the Torres LCRPT AOCs was. This included thorough flight tested diagrammatic normal and abnormal ops for all aircraft types on the Operator's AOC for each of the individual Torres Strait island airstrips (including Mabuiag and Darnley islands).

Yet here we are 24 years on, with now an exemplary record of thousands upon thousands of daily LCRPT movements into these airstrips and now those safety statistics are somehow totally irrelevant because the Bureaucrats under the bubble in Aviation Hearse have promulgated their strict liability 468 page CASR Part 139 MOS - FDS!   

MTF...P2 

[P7_TOM]

One for the pot :-

- HERE -

[Peetwo]

Senate Estimates QON: Chalk & Cheese (Miniscule MIA??)

From the RRAT Senate Estimates web page, for the 2023-24 Budget Estimates, we now have a report: https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/dow...023-24.pdf

That report states that the due date for the answers to QON was:

Questions on notice and Hansard Transcript

1.9 In accordance with standing order 26(9)(a), the committee set Friday, 14 July 2023 as the date for the return of written answers or additional information in response to questions placed on notice during the initial hearings.

 
The CHALK: As a look down on the two Government Departments under the oversight of the Senate RRAT Committee (IE: Agriculture and Infrastructure (department of everything)) currently the AG department have met their obligations to the Estimates process of answering all 239 QON by the 14 July 2023.



The CHEESE: In comparison miniscule Dicky King's department of everything has answered 26 QON out of a total of 405 QON directed to the department of everything and it's self-serving agencies - WTF??    
 
MTF..P2 

[Peetwo]

Best Betts on inclusivity and respect (etc..etc) in his Department?? -   

Remember this?

Best Betts gives a fist of solidarity to Albo's VOICE!! - 

Via the APH Parlview:

That video has since accumulated over 7k views and 104 mostly negative comments - E.G:

@MuggaVirtualPilotMVP
2 months ago

This is what happens when the Public Service employs its people based on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.  You end up with politically charged and motivated bureaucracy that uses their positions to drive partisan socialist agendas.  This Secretary should be thrown out and made an example of.  I'll answer Mr Betts.... "Your being accused of using your Public Service employment to promote your own partisan political agendas".  It's also time the politicians stood up to public servants and stopped pandering to them.

Therefore it was with interest that I noted the following LinkedIn post...

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
31,242 followers
5d •

“My job is to try to instil a culture which is free from fear, where people feel valued and respected and inspired, and where they have permission to be creative, and permission to be bold and daring and try new things.”

In this interview with The Mandarin, Secretary Jim Betts gives some insight into his leadership philosophy and goals for the department ⬇

Mandarin article link: Can a culture free of fear thrive in the APS? Jim Betts thinks so

Meanwhile JB's dept is actively promoting across social media their "National Road Safety Action Grants Program" with this picture:



Ref: Errr...what's wrong with this picture?? - (cont/-)

I also note that, of the 405 QON for Budget Estimates 2023-24,  there is still over 270 outstanding/overdue answers to QON for JB's Department: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus..._estimates

This is in stark contrast to the Agricultural Dept which I believe answered pretty much all QON by the agreed to date of 14 July 2023 - see para 1.9 HERE.

But I guess this is starting to become common practice for JB and miniscule Dickie King - reference QON 1 (still unanswered):

Question Senator McKENZIE: Ms Bridger, maybe you can confirm that a month after the due date for supplementary questions on notice there were still 237 out of 280 outstanding. Ms Bridger: I couldn't confirm that exact figure, but I do know that we did get a lot of questions last time around and it did take us a while to come back and answer all of them. Senator McKENZIE: By 10 May, so after the budget was handed down, there were 19 outstanding responses and there are still 11. Are these still sitting in the department, Ms Bridger? Ms Bridger: I'd have to take that one on notice.
[...]
Senator McKENZIE: Could you please give me the full list of dates on which draft responses were first submitted to the relevant minister's office for review? Ms Bridger: Yes, I'll take that one on notice. The dates of the drafts? I would have to take that on notice. Senator McKENZIE: On the date questions on notice were due, 280 remained unanswered. A month later, 237 still remained unanswered. The budget comes down, and we've still got questions unanswered. I'm trying to find out whether it is the department that is slow to answer. Where are the QONs? Where are they? How many are still in the minister's office and how many are still to be answered by the department?
[...]
Senator McKENZIE: Were the majority of answers drafted prior to the due date of 31 March? Ms Bridger: I don't have that information at hand. So, again, we'd have to take that I notice. It would be a huge table of where things are, and they go backwards and forwards sometimes. I don't have that table with me.
[...]
Senator McKENZIE: Can somebody let me know today how many of the questions your team sent up to the minister's office, respectful of that deadline, and how many remain in the minister's office versus the 11 that we have? Ms Bridger: Yes, sure.

  
 UDB! 

MTF...P2 

[Sandy Reith]

The Department for Infradig continues to astonish, but not in a good way.

Can’t help wondering if it’s Secretary should be wearing the traditional garb of all ethnic minorities, say from week to week, respectfully acknowledging the ethinic variations throughout the Australian community.

Week one, a Mandarin garb from the Ming dynasty. Two, German lederhosen. Three, Dyak loin cloth with Canberra weather allowance, suggest skin coloured thermals. Four, South American hatted costume, Five, Mexican sombrero with pseudo bandoliers. Six, London City bowler hat and furled umbrella. Department suggestion box for additional ideas.

I think in fairness the Department should have a costume section to cater for an all inclusive array of authentic ethnic clothing and up to the minute political messaging symbolism. The latter can be permitted because all sides will be displayed even handedly.

[Cap'n Wannabe]

From the OZ..

Civil Aviation Safety Authority under fire for failing to act on chopper reports before fatal crashes



The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is facing calls for an independent inquiry into what it knew about unlicensed helicopter pilot Troy Thomas before a Kimberley crash in which he and 12-year-old Amber Millar died.

The Australian this week ­revealed that CASA had investigated and dismissed a spate of dangerous flying allegations ­involving helicopters owned by Thomas’s companies a year ­before the crash in July 2020.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws ­reveal CASA received five written complaints, accompanied by photo and video evidence, in 2018 of “unsafe behaviour” involving aircraft badged Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures which Thomas owned at the time.

CASA also investigated a 2017 incident in which a helicopter owned by Thomas’s company Avanova crashed into the water at Talbot Bay, north of Broome.

The complaints sparked a noncompliance investigation into Helibrook, the aviation business of Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright, because Thomas’s choppers were operating under his air operator’s certificate.

Amber’s parents, Fiona and Clint Benbow, have said CASA has “blood on its hands” over their daughter’s death and called for an inquiry. West Australian senator Dean Smith backed their calls, saying patterns of non-compliant behaviour by Thomas, and “poor oversight and investigation” by CASA, were emerging.



“At a minimum there needs to be an independent inquiry that has full investigative powers ­because what we have here is a catalogue of issues around CASA,” he said.

CASA said allegations that it did not take action over instances of unsafe flying were “completely false”. “CASA has zero tolerance for serious, wilful or repeated disregard of the aviation rules and takes all reports of illegal aviation behaviour seriously,” a spokesman said. “CASA was aware of only one previous incident that Mr Thomas was involved in prior to his fatal accident.

“That incident resulted in ­enforcement action being taken.”

CASA said that it did not normally investigate the owners of aircraft involved in incidents.

“Many are owned under ­complex financial and shareholding arrangements,” the spokesman said.



At budget estimates in May, CASA chief executive and director of aviation safety Pip Spence said Thomas flying the Robinson R44 unlicensed the day it crashed was “illegal” but insisted the regulator had limited oversight of ­“private” flights, despite Thomas being a well-known tourism operator. “This is not a tourism operation. It was a private pilot,” she said. “The pilot broke those rules.

“If the pilot had survived, we would have taken enforcement action. It was a private pilot in a private operation who did the wrong thing.”



Ms Spence took five questions on notice from Senator Smith who yesterday said he had not yet received written responses and the answers are now all “well overdue”.

Senator Smith said: “Transport Minister Catherine King and her agency has to take some responsibility,” he said.

“The minister should explain why there’s no need for a full ­judicial inquiry that examines CASA’s handling of reports about incidents involving Troy Thomas’s aircraft … and also why there appears to be a disproportionate number of helicopter incidents across northern Australia.”

Ms King declined to answer specific questions but a spokesman said the government was “aware of concerns about safety in the aviation tourism industry”.

[Cap'n Wannabe]

And..

CASA cleared company owned by Troy Thomas of ‘unsafe behaviour’ a year before fatal Broome crash that killed Amber Millar



The Civil Aviation Safety Authority investigated and dismissed a spate of dangerous flying allegations involving Troy Thomas’s company a year before his helicopter crashed, killing him and a 12-year-old girl, in the Kimberley.

CASA has insisted it was aware of only one safety breach involving Thomas, who had a “high-risk appetite”, before the fatal Broome crash that killed him and Amber Millar in July 2020.

But documents obtained by The Australian under Freedom of Information laws reveal CASA ­received five written complaints, ­accompanied by photo and video evidence, in 2018 of “unsafe behaviour” involving aircraft badged Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, which Thomas founded and owned at the time. CASA had also investigated a crash in 2017, ­involving one of his choppers, in which passengers were injured and the aircraft written off.

The CASA documents detail that the helicopters involved in these events were part of a “small satellite operation” – operating under several Air Operator’s ­Certificates – which took tourists on joy flights in connection with a fixed-wing operation at Horizontal Falls, about 270km northeast of Broome.

Aircraft registration records show that helicopters involved ­belonged to Thomas’s company Avanova, which operated five helicopters for private, business and commercial purposes for his tourism ventures.



The first known complaint to CASA in 2018 was of “deliberate and systematic low-flying and vessel-harassment” on June 15 that year. The second was of “unsafe behaviour by a helicopter in relation to a seaplane” a couple of weeks later.

“This organisation is conducting itself in a manner which demonstrates a systemic and belligerent disregard of legal and safety obligations over an extended period,” the complainant wrote.

On July 2, 2018, a person on Cockatoo Island alleged a chopper made “an unauthorised landing on our property” and that it had happened multiple times “by the same operator in the past few weeks”.

On the mornings of July 23 and 24 there were reports of a helicopter owned by Thomas departing Broome airport “amidst thick fog”.

“There was no other air ­activity, understandably, and many witnesses who were shocked,” the complainant submitted.

“There was NO window of ­opportunity as the pilot may protest. We were all aghast.”

Another complainant, an airline pilot with several thousand hours of experience, claimed that a “helicopter departed with zero ­visibility”.

“I have photographs of this morning that proves the conditions were nowhere near legal,” the pilot wrote.

Videos submitted to CASA showed alleged low-flying and Thomas’s Robinson R44 on Cockatoo Island. The investigator believed the landing may have constituted a breach “vis the right to alight there”.

Another video submitted to CASA depicted an aircraft entering a gorge at an indeterminate height. The investigator believed it might have been a breach but “without any clear dimensional evidence this is not possible to ­determine” and the chopper’s registration was not clearly visible.

“The activity in the videos, from a safety standpoint, depicted helicopters engaging in manoeuvres which placed the aircraft in situations of varying risk profiles relative to the two main risks (engine and tail rotor failure),” the CASA investigator wrote.

“The dynamic position of the aircraft at various stages of the (from the passenger’s perspective) ‘fun’ manoeuvres, (steep turns/­reversal turns and low-level flying), placed the aircraft in a situation from which recovery from these two risks would be practically impossible.”



The complaints sparked a noncompliance investigation into Helibrook, the aviation business of Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright, because Mr Thomas’s choppers were operating under his air operator’s certificate.

CASA interviewed Helibrook’s chief pilot in September 2018.

“He answered each of the ­reports in turn and did not insist on seeing the evidence for himself,” the investigator wrote.

“In the context of the first two items he accepted that there was a need to investigate further and ­report back on his findings. On the second and third items, the ‘illegal’ landing and the ‘takeoff in fog’, he gave plausible and substantial ­explanations which he undertook to support with further evidence.”

CASA then let the chief pilot ­investigate the complaints himself. He reported back to CASA that the pilot involved in the ­alleged illegal landing had already been “called to account by National Parks and Wildlife” and was ­required to attend mediation with it. However, Parks Australia and WA Parks and Wildlife both told The Australian their departments had no record of the complaint or mediation.

“The pilot concerned was sanctioned separately by another Government Agency for the place where he alighted, so it was determined that this sanction was sufficient to address that matter,” the CASA investigator decided.



The CASA investigator wrote that the pilot also provided a written report relating to the “takeoff in fog” incident, “in which it was shown that in fact the pilot had acted responsibly in making the decision to depart Broome when he did”.

“The statement demonstrated a clear-thinking analysis of the weather conditions, clear risk-mitigation in the decision-making and overall, a sufficient understanding of the Regulations that CASA can be satisfied that the pilot operated in a safe and effective manner,’’ he wrote.

“Finally, the ‘take-off in fog’ was analysed and it was found that there were inconsistencies in the reported dates and times of the event.”

The chief pilot told CASA he had held safety meetings with ­pilots in Broome and Darwin to discuss possible breaches and ­develop amendments for their operations manual.

“The ‘deliberate and systematic low-flying and vessel-harassment’ and the ‘unsafe behaviour of a helicopter in relation-to a seaplane’ could not be substantiated or ­directly attributed to this operator,” the investigator wrote.

“Notwithstanding, the chief pilot’s intervention is considered sufficient for CASA to be satisfied that the operator can continue to operate in a safe and effective manner.”



The chief pilot impressed CASA with his attitude.

“The chief pilot made no attempt to evade responsibility and he was entirely forthright in his knowledge and his lack of knowledge of matters,” the investigator wrote.

“He undertook to examine the details of the allegations without any attempt to deflect their validity, accepting that there could be substance in their content regardless of their accuracy. In short, there were no excuses, he was cooperative, proactive and constructive throughout the process.”

CASA concluded that the operator was taking a “thoroughly ­responsible approach to the event” and was “proactive in finding and closing potential omissions in the operator’s procedures”.

“Therefore CASA can be satisfied that [company name redacted] can continue to operate safely and effectively,” the investigator wrote.

There was “insufficient detail in the evidence so no findings were issued.”



A year before these unsafe flying reports, CASA had investigated another incident involving a helicopter owned by Thomas and operated by Helibrook.

On April 23, 2017, a Robinson R44 crashed into the water after taking off for a charter flight from the top of a boat at Talbot Bay in Horizontal Falls. Avanova owned the chopper that had been cross-hired to Helibrook.

“During the lift off from the helideck, the helicopter low rotor RPM warning sounded and within 1-2 seconds the aircraft skids hit the water and the aircraft entered the water and sank,” CASA documents state.

The pilot and two passengers, who were injured, had to exit the helicopter underwater, inflate a lifejacket and swim 50m to shore before being taken to hospital.

On April 28, CASA noted that the aircraft was resting in 10m- plus of water and had been secured to the ocean floor.

“From an insurance perspective it is clearly a write-off and it is not known as to what level or if any investigation will be carried out as to the cause of the reported engine failure,” the investigator wrote.

Weeks later, after the aircraft was recovered, CASA deemed that “no visual inspection of the aircraft was required”. At the end of its surveillance, there were “no findings issued”.

In 2017 and 2018, CASA established there were deficiencies in the service level agreement procedures between Helibrook, Thomas’s company and their maintenance provider, and that Helibrook did not follow its own drug and alcohol management plan.



CASA has consistently claimed that it had only ever received one report about Thomas before the crash and that the federal regulator could not have foreseen or prevented the tragedy because it was a “private flight”.

“CASA conducts regular surveillance on commercial aviation operations, such as tourism and maintenance,” a spokesperson said.

“We also oversee private pilots through our licensing system, ­reports from the aviation industry or passengers, and random spot checks at airports and aerodromes. We take all reports of safety concerns seriously and will act on them, however we generally cannot comment due to privacy ­requirements.”

[Cap'n Wannabe]

Finally..

Amber Millar’s parents blame CASA for daughter’s Broome chopper crash death with pilot Troy Thomas



The parents of a 12-year-old girl killed in a fatal Broome chopper crash claim the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has “blood on its hands” for dismissing complaints about dangerous behaviour involving the pilot’s helicopters a year before their daughter died.

Perth schoolgirl Amber Millar was fatally injured when a helicopter, owned and piloted by tourism stalwart Troy Thomas, crashed immediately after a high-powered vertical takeoff from an industrial area north of Broome in July 2020.

Her parents, Fiona and Clint Benbow, are calling for a royal commission into CASA after The Australian obtained documents through Freedom of Information that revealed the federal regulator knew about, and failed to act on, repeated reports of unsafe flying in Thomas’s choppers before the fatal crash.

“I am absolutely sickened to my core,” Mrs Benbow said.

“It is soul destroying to know that CASA did nothing with the evidence it had received about Troy Thomas and others except to turn a blind eye. We aren’t talking about ignoring hearsay or gossip. They had hard photographic and videographic evidence.

“If CASA is not going to act on information it receives about ­pilots and companies, why bother to have a regulator?”



Since Amber’s death, the Benbows have been asking CASA about Thomas’s aviation history and what it knew about the companies and individuals involved in the crash.

“This is the first time this important information has been brought to our attention and it is only coming to light as a result of FOI requests,” Mr Benbow said.

“It is incomprehensible, and frankly unbelievable, that CASA can claim that they were not aware of any of this when they were. If CASA had performed its duty properly, we are pretty damn certain that our beautiful Amber Jess would still be alive.”



The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s final report into the cause of the fatal Broome crash found that vibration in the tail rotor pedals led to an overstress fracture that caused the chopper’s mid-air break-up seconds after takeoff.

The ATSB’s report also stated that Thomas had demonstrated “a high-risk appetite”, a history of noncompliance with aviation laws, was unlicensed to fly the Robinson R44 and knew there was a serious issue with it before taking off on that final fatal flight.

On June 22, 2020, Bryce McGlashan, a pilot who worked for Thomas, reported feeling an unusual vibration in the tail rotor pedals, which can indicate impending failure of a critical component. Despite this, on July 2, Thomas took his friend Ashley Sutton on an 18-minute scenic flight over water, during which Thomas felt the vibrations himself.

The ATSB says that flight carried “risk of worsening of a condition or failure of a component”, without any option to quickly land.

During that flight, Thomas texted Mr McGlashan, confirming the helicopter had a problem.

On July 3, a team of aircraft maintenance engineers performed troubleshooting involving ground running of the chopper but could not identify the defect.

The engineers allegedly phoned Mr McGlashan and Thomas to tell the two pilots that a check flight must be performed, but it was not recorded on the aircraft’s it’s maintenance release.

“The safest next step (recommended by the helicopter manufacturer) was the conduct of a graduated flight check by a solo pilot,” the ATSB report said. “However, the next and final flight involved the conduct of a high-power towering takeoff from a confined area with 3 passengers on board.

“The unnecessary carriage of passengers resulted in a significantly more severe outcome following the in-flight break-up.”



During a grilling from West Australian senator Dean Smith about Amber’s death, CASA chief executive and director of aviation safety Pip Spence said CASA could not have known about Thomas’s behaviour or reputation.

The Benbows believe CASA has been placating them for the past three years “in the hope we will go away and not make a fuss about our daughter”.

“This is a very bitter pill to swallow and to be quite frank, we won’t,” Mrs Benbow said.

“CASA has our daughter’s blood on its hands.”

[Peetwo]

Finally..

Amber Millar’s parents blame CASA for daughter’s Broome chopper crash death with pilot Troy Thomas



The parents of a 12-year-old girl killed in a fatal Broome chopper crash claim the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has “blood on its hands” for dismissing complaints about dangerous behaviour involving the pilot’s helicopters a year before their daughter died.

Perth schoolgirl Amber Millar was fatally injured when a helicopter, owned and piloted by tourism stalwart Troy Thomas, crashed immediately after a high-powered vertical takeoff from an industrial area north of Broome in July 2020.

Her parents, Fiona and Clint Benbow, are calling for a royal commission into CASA after The Australian obtained documents through Freedom of Information that revealed the federal regulator knew about, and failed to act on, repeated reports of unsafe flying in Thomas’s choppers before the fatal crash.

“I am absolutely sickened to my core,” Mrs Benbow said.

“It is soul destroying to know that CASA did nothing with the evidence it had received about Troy Thomas and others except to turn a blind eye. We aren’t talking about ignoring hearsay or gossip. They had hard photographic and videographic evidence.

“If CASA is not going to act on information it receives about ­pilots and companies, why bother to have a regulator?”



Since Amber’s death, the Benbows have been asking CASA about Thomas’s aviation history and what it knew about the companies and individuals involved in the crash.

“This is the first time this important information has been brought to our attention and it is only coming to light as a result of FOI requests,” Mr Benbow said.

“It is incomprehensible, and frankly unbelievable, that CASA can claim that they were not aware of any of this when they were. If CASA had performed its duty properly, we are pretty damn certain that our beautiful Amber Jess would still be alive.”



The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s final report into the cause of the fatal Broome crash found that vibration in the tail rotor pedals led to an overstress fracture that caused the chopper’s mid-air break-up seconds after takeoff.

The ATSB’s report also stated that Thomas had demonstrated “a high-risk appetite”, a history of noncompliance with aviation laws, was unlicensed to fly the Robinson R44 and knew there was a serious issue with it before taking off on that final fatal flight.

On June 22, 2020, Bryce McGlashan, a pilot who worked for Thomas, reported feeling an unusual vibration in the tail rotor pedals, which can indicate impending failure of a critical component. Despite this, on July 2, Thomas took his friend Ashley Sutton on an 18-minute scenic flight over water, during which Thomas felt the vibrations himself.

The ATSB says that flight carried “risk of worsening of a condition or failure of a component”, without any option to quickly land.

During that flight, Thomas texted Mr McGlashan, confirming the helicopter had a problem.

On July 3, a team of aircraft maintenance engineers performed troubleshooting involving ground running of the chopper but could not identify the defect.

The engineers allegedly phoned Mr McGlashan and Thomas to tell the two pilots that a check flight must be performed, but it was not recorded on the aircraft’s it’s maintenance release.

“The safest next step (recommended by the helicopter manufacturer) was the conduct of a graduated flight check by a solo pilot,” the ATSB report said. “However, the next and final flight involved the conduct of a high-power towering takeoff from a confined area with 3 passengers on board.

“The unnecessary carriage of passengers resulted in a significantly more severe outcome following the in-flight break-up.”



During a grilling from West Australian senator Dean Smith about Amber’s death, CASA chief executive and director of aviation safety Pip Spence said CASA could not have known about Thomas’s behaviour or reputation.

The Benbows believe CASA has been placating them for the past three years “in the hope we will go away and not make a fuss about our daughter”.

“This is a very bitter pill to swallow and to be quite frank, we won’t,” Mrs Benbow said.

“CASA has our daughter’s blood on its hands.”

From the start: 

Senator DEAN SMITH: Thank you for your time here this evening, Ms Spence, and other officials. I just noticed that your nametag says chief executive and director of aviation safety. Can you explain to me why it is necessary to have both roles?

Ms Spence: Because the job actually is two titles. One is the person responsible for running the organisation. There is also a role under the legislation as the director of aviation safety.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Have the roles always been combined?

Ms Spence: Yes.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Across Northern Australia, can you tell me the deployment of CASA officials at various aviation centres? Mr Walker was nodding his head.

Ms Spence: First of all, I should probably just point out that we do operate under a national operating model. While we do have staff located in Northern Australia from Cairns and Darwin, we are able to send resources from other areas in the organisation to support operations in Northern Australia. I will pass to Mr Walker to provide a bit more detail.

Mr Walker : Yes, we do have state offices right around Australia. In particular, for Northern Australia, there is an office in Darwin and an office in Cairns. The other most northern office would be the Brisbane office. In our Cairns office, we have roughly 23 or 24 staff. We have 11 staff in Darwin. Brisbane is one of our larger offices, with about 219 staff.

Senator DEAN SMITH: When we think of northern Western Australia, which is my home state, what is the most northern town that has a CASA presence?

Mr Walker : Generally, northern Western Australia we manage out of our Darwin office. That is also supplemented with staff out of the Perth office.

Senator DEAN SMITH: So the 11 staff that are permanently based in Darwin are also responsible for northern WA?

Mr Walker : Yes. As Ms Spence said, they are supplemented with our staff nationally. The way we run our operations for the organisation, particularly in my area of regulatory services, is that rather than being location specific, we have staff available to service those needs out of any CASA office, depending on where the surge in demand is. One thing we don't really have control over is where the work comes from and when it comes. We deploy local staff generally as a preference, particularly for regulatory services, where there is some local knowledge and particularly for our surveillance activities. Otherwise, we would defer that work to one of our other offices.

Senator DEAN SMITH: I will stay with northern Western Australia for a moment. How frequently would CASA officials or officers make themselves present at various aviation locations across the far north of Western Australia? I am thinking of Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Broome and Derby.

Mr Walker : Certainly. That would very much depend on what work we have afoot, particularly, as I say, for regulatory services. We would respond to service requests out of the local operators at those locations. In terms of surveillance, we have a national plan, an annual plan, for surveillance. We would look at specific operators or specific sectors and generally take a risk based approach. I couldn't say definitively that they are there every second week or once a month. It is really very driven by the work demand in those locations from those operators.

Senator DEAN SMITH: When you use the term 'regulatory services ', what does that mean in detail in terms of the sorts of activities?

Mr Walker : For any commercial operations in Australia, an operator requires an air operator certificate. It doesn't matter whether you are a large operator such as Qantas, that would have multiple air operator certificates, right down to some of the smaller part 135s, more commonly known as charter operators. As they conduct operations, they may have need to interact with us. Effectively, the way the regulations run is they require certain permissions from us to operate. In the nature of their operations, that may change quite regularly or seldomly. It really depends on the nature of the operation. If they want to introduce new aircraft to their fleet, that would be a touchpoint for CASA. If they want to change their key personnel—physically there is a change of safety managers or even CEOs—that is something they interact with us about. On any given year, we would have a large number of regulatory services as activities. It is very much driven by the permissions that industry would be seeking from CASA.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Time is of the essence. You used the word 'surveillance'. Can you provide an explanation of what you mean by that?

Mr Walker : There are two parts to it. Industry, obviously, seeks permission to do certain things. First and foremost, we make sure that it is done safely and in alignment with the regulation. We also have a surveillance component where we check and verify that industry is doing what they said they were going to do or they asked permission to do. So it's basically separating the service provision from a validation exercise to go and check that they are compliant with the regulation.

Senator DEAN SMITH: I am assuming that when CASA officials do make themselves available across far northern Western Australia—Halls Creek, Kununurra and Broome et cetera—you keep a record of that?

Mr Walker : Most definitely. Every regulatory service interaction is recorded. Obviously, we are obliged under our regulation to charge a fee for those services. Effectively, they are predetermined and agreed. Equally, for surveillance, which we don't charge for, we keep a record of that so we have as full a picture as possible of the safety operations of an organisation.

Senator DEAN SMITH: In terms of your recordkeeping, there are two sets. There is the regulatory service interaction and then there is the surveillance interaction. You note the sort of record that is kept?

Mr Walker : Effectively, yes. It is one system in terms of our record management as an IT system.

Senator DEAN SMITH: With date, day, person and operator?

Mr Walker : Correct. Right down to the storage of documents in terms of the some of the documents we would require to assess an application. It could include their flight operations manual. It could include their safety systems manuals. It could include areas such as fatigue et cetera.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Great. On notice for the period 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, can you provide me with information about the presence of CASA officials and as much detail? I am someone who is very happy operating in the detail. I want detailed information about the regulation service interaction and surveillance activities of those officials on those particular days?

Mr Walker : Certainly. I might need to qualify it somewhat. Not all regulatory services require physical participation at location. Generally, though, we could provide you with information on the nature of the regulatory services and the locations and the way those occurred.

Senator DEAN SMITH: It would identify whether it was done remotely or on premise physically?

Mr Walker : Generally, yes.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Great. Thank you very much.

Ms Spence: Another thing we can also provide advice on is we also have an educative role. We do have other officers who engage with industry just to determine and make sure that industry understands why the regulatory framework operates and if there are particular issues that they want to deal with. We can also talk to you about what the aviation safety advisers do who also aren't based necessarily in that region but who go out and visit operators in those areas. We will—

Senator DEAN SMITH: That will be recorded on the information there?

Ms Spence: That will be recorded in it.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Great. I want to turn specifically to Robinson R44 Raven helicopters. How many Robinson R44 helicopters are registered in Australia at the present time?

Ms Spence: We would have to take that on notice.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Are you sure you don't have it there?

Ms Spence: I'm positive I don't have that in my pack.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Would you like to take an estimate? Is it 100 or 200?

Ms Spence: I would give you an accurate answer. We will certainly take it on notice.

Senator DEAN SMITH: You are welcome to give me an answer and correct the record. You are the director of aviation safety.

Ms Spence: Yes. I don't have the number of R44 helicopters operating in Australia. I can certainly get that for you on notice.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Perhaps while we're having this discussion—

Ms Spence: If any of my team behind me know what the answer is, I will certainly jump in and let you know.

Senator DEAN SMITH: I am also interested to know where they are located. Can someone give me a figure? Are they located in Northern Australia? Are they located in Perth or Melbourne et cetera? I would be very interested in—

Ms Spence: We will give you as much information as we can. I don't know if we would have that breakdown for you. Whatever level of detail we can provide you with, we certainly will.

Senator DEAN SMITH: In the ATSB transport safety report that was done into the incident that occurred in Broome on 4 July, where a young girl lost her life, just for the record, it said there were 558 Robinson R44 helicopters in Western Australia. Before we turn specifically to the ATSB report, what is CASA's attitude with regard to the safety of Robinson R44 helicopters?

Ms Spence: It is an issue that we have been looking closely at. Probably towards the end of last year, just in response to a number of incidents involving both the R44 and the R22 helicopters, we did an analysis looking over the last 10 years to see whether we could identify any specific trends, be it location, type of operation or any other sort of causal factors that created any suggestion that there was a particular issue we needed to look into. We couldn't find any particular trends. We are monitoring it closely. We work very closely with the Australian Helicopter Industry Association. Obviously, we are concerned about the number of accidents and incidents we are seeing. As I said, we did do a review to determine whether there was anything specific that was linking the accidents and incidents.

Senator DEAN SMITH: You found it necessary to do an analysis?

Ms Spence: Yes. Based on the number of accidents and incidents that have been happening.

Senator DEAN SMITH: The analysis found no consistent determinants or issues?

Ms Spence: That's correct.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Did other aviation experts outside CASA find that analysis surprising or reassuring?

Ms Spence: We haven't discussed that with any other aviation experts.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Did the Robinson R44 helicopter manufacturer participate in that analysis?

Ms Spence: No. It was based on the data that is available. It is based on ATSB accidents and incident reports.

Senator DEAN SMITH: In Australia?

Ms Spence: In Australia, yes.

Senator DEAN SMITH: You didn't think it necessary to inquire about accidents that might have happened outside Australia?

Ms Spence: I would have to get back to you with the detail of what other factors they looked into as part of that analysis we did. I am certainly not saying that it is the end of the work that we are doing looking at it. Based on the work we have done to date, we haven't seen any causal factors that we need to act on.

Senator DEAN SMITH: So the incident that happened in Broome on 4 July, was that one of the incidents that assisted CASA come to the view that it was necessary to do this analysis?

Ms Spence: Yes. It would have been one of the accidents. As I said, it was in the 10-year time frame, so it dated back from any accident or incident from, I think, the start of 2022 back to 2012.

Senator DEAN SMITH: And the analysis found no consistent—

Ms Spence: No causal links or anything that gave rise to us to do further analysis. As I said, we are continuing to work with the Australian Helicopter Industry Association. We will continue to monitor and undertake any work we need to.

Senator DEAN SMI TH: Has that analysis been peer reviewed?

Ms Spence: No. I don't think so.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Will it be?

Ms Spence: No.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Why not?

Ms Spence: We didn't have plans to do that. I can certainly take on notice what—

Senator DEAN SMITH: You obviously thought there were enough incidents to warrant CASA doing an independent analysis.

Ms Spence: Yes.

Senator DEAN SMITH: The independent analysis found no consistent causal influences or issues?

Ms Spence: Yes.

S enator DEAN SMITH: I would have thought from an aviation security perspective and abundant caution that a peer review might have been—

Ms Spence: I think it was because of the nature of the analysis done. The data is the data. We were looking at whether there is any trend. I am not saying there isn't further work we can do. It's a sensible suggestion that you are making. I will look to see what else we can do in that space.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Is the analysis a public document?

Ms Spence: No. It's not.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Will it be?

Ms Spence: Can I take that on notice, please?

Senator DEAN SMITH: Is it your decision?

Ms Spence: I would like to review the document to determine what the best course of action would be.

Senator DEAN SMITH: That is separate to my question. Is it your decision about whether or not the analysis becomes a public document?

Ms Spence: I would want to consult with the board before I release the document.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Thank you very much. I will turn specifically to the issue with regard to Broome on 4 July 2020. What is CASA's general attitude with regard to that?

Ms Spence: Apart from the obvious statement that it was a tragedy—

Senator DEAN SMITH: Of course, yes.

Ms Spence: and terrible that it happened, one of the points that the ATSB made clear in the analysis or their investigation is that this was a private operation. The way in which our regulatory framework is established, we do have a high level of expectations around those operators who we authorise. As Mr Walker said, they have an air operator certificate. They are essentially providing commercial transport services. There are still requirements, obviously, and expectations on private operations, but they do not meet the same safety standard as what you would expect for a commercial operation.

Senator DEAN SMITH: In your statement of 14 April 2023, which I think might have been released in response to some media inquiry—

Ms Spence: Yes.

Senator DEAN SMITH: you do make the point that the accident flight was not a commercial tourist operation but a private flight organised for family and friends.

Ms Spence: Yes.

Senator DEAN SMITH: You then go on to say that private pilots conducting private operations for family or friends must still follow the aviation safety rules, including a requirement to hold a valid and current licence.

Ms Spence: That's correct. If the pilot hadn't been deceased, we would have taken action. What the pilot did was illegal.

Senator DEAN SMITH: What actions has CASA taken since the release of the ATSB report on 12 April this year?

Ms Spence: I might get my colleague to come to the table. Essentially, we have done extensive campaigns to educate pilots on what is appropriate and how to operate legally. We are working again with the Helicopter Industry Association to see whether there are any ways that we influence behaviours of pilots. We are looking at how we best ensure that pilots are aware of when certain requirements, such as their medicals, have expired. We already give them notice around that. It is about whether there anything else we can do to make sure that they make all the effort to maintain currency. I might turn to my colleague, Mr Marcelja.

Mr Marcelja: Within my remit is safety education for pilots. As Ms Spence said, the approach we take for private operations is very much around raising awareness and educating. We have many different campaigns, including seminars to pilots and online training. We have been running a pilot safety campaign since about August last year. That is specifically targeting safety behaviours in pilots. We are getting some really good uptake and participation in that. It is very much an educative approach. We have about 30,000 plus pilots in Australia. Helicopters make up maybe 10 per cent or so of that.

Senator DEAN SMITH: To be clear, we are talking about a particular type of helicopter and a particular type of activity in a remote part of Northern Australia. Mr Walker, you talked about risk management techniques. The ATSB report does demonstrate that there was more than one incident with regard to the pilot. I am curious to know why the risk management technique you talked about did not identify this. I understand the importance of the education campaign, but, to be fair, it sounds generic.

Mr Marcelja: I think the point I'm making and that the director was making is that our surveillance, enforcement and oversight activity is very much focused on commercial operations. We focus very strongly on commercial operators and tourism operators.

Senator DEAN SMITH: I am not an aviation expert. As a layman, reading the ATSB report makes it very clear to me that the emerging risk is actually amongst private pilots and private operators. I am keen to understand what you are doing to mitigate what I would characterise as an emerging risk.

Ms Spence: One thing I would like to clarify is that we did obviously look back—that is one of the things we do—to see what visibility or awareness we had of the pilot and any incidents that he had been involved in. All we found was one incident that had been acquitted. If you get a demerit point and then that demerit point is—

Senator DEAN SMITH: What was that one incident?

Ms Spence: I will have to take it on notice. I'm sorry. I thought had a piece of paper here.

Senator DEAN SMITH: A helicopter crashing on a boat?

Ms Spence: No. It wasn't.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Another incident in addition to that?

Mr Walker : I think I understand the incident you are talking about. It is the same incident that Ms Spence is referring to, which is flying too low. It was in the close proximity of a boat.

Senator DEAN SMITH: It hit the boat.

Mr Walker : It hit the boat; correct.

Senator DEAN SMITH: It hit the boat.

Ms Spence: And the incident was investigated. There was a requirement on the pilot. I can't remember what he had to do. There were actions taken.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Again, I am a layman. On my reading of the report, I identified these issues. There were issues around the pilot's licence, issues around the maintenance release and issues around the previous instances of poor pilot practice.

Ms Spence: Can I just point out that is one—

Senator DEAN SMITH: That is already three. There is the existence of non-reported incidents. I have here four.

Ms Spence: The maintenance release one is a very important one. Obviously—

Senator DEAN SMITH: It's serious.

Ms Spence: It's very serious. Again, that goes to the—

Sen ator DEAN SMITH: A young girl and another passenger, in the interests of full transparency, lost their life. It appears to me, again as a layman, that here was a recurring set of circumstances in a remote part of Western Australia, which, to be fair, is well-populated in terms of remoteness. To go back to where I started, I was interested in understanding CASA's presence. This is an area that has pastoral populations and pastoral pilots. It is heavily dependent on the tourism industry. Here is a set of circumstances. When we started, I was not convinced that CASA's physical presence in a place such as Broome is sufficient in order to police and protect.

Ms Spence: First of all, if reports are unreported, we can't take action on them. I am not trying to be cute or smart on that. What we don't know we don't know.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Ms Spence, there were YouTube videos.

Ms Spence: We don't spend our time scanning YouTube videos.

Senator DEAN SMITH: So your surveillance activity does not involve monitoring or policing advertisements of tourist operators?

Ms Spence: Can we please be very clear? This is not a tourism operation. It was a private pilot.

Senator DEAN SMITH: By your own media statement, you have said that private pilots conducting private operations for family or friends must still follow the aviation safety rules. You are the aviation regulator.

Ms Spence: The pilot broke those rules. I totally agree with that. If the pilot had survived, we would have taken enforcement action. What I am trying to say is that it was a private pilot in a private operation who did the wrong thing.

Senator DEAN SMITH: It was not invisible. There was recurring behaviour on the part of the private pilot, I would contend.

Ms Spence: I would contend that there was an incident that we were aware of. There were actions taken. He did what he was required to do. I don't think you can point to a recurring trend of us not acting on something.

CHAIR: I am loathe to come in. I can't express my condolences deeply enough for the families of the two people who lost their lives. I am keen if you want to keep going, although it has nothing to do with the budget. I know how flexible we have been in this committee. It is 10 o'clock. I will seek support from my colleagues. If we are going to continue questioning for CASA, because I know Senator Roberts has questions, are we still likely to get to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility? We are.

Senator DEAN SMIT H: Chair, thank you for your indulgence. You did give me the call. I will just take three more minutes, if that's okay.

CHAIR: Yes, fine, thanks.

Senator DEAN SMITH: We can pursue this in a private briefing if the minister is so inclined. What has CASA done since in the detail? Has CASA taken the initiative to speak to the family?

Ms Spence: No. We haven't.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Has the family requested an opportunity to speak to CASA?

Ms Spence: Not that I'm aware of.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Mr Walker?

Mr Walker : Not that I am aware of, no.

Ms Spence: I totally agree that it is a tragedy. We would like to make sure that they understand what happened and why we are taking our responsibility seriously.

Senator DEAN SMITH: I think yes, I agree, Ms Spence—what happened and future remedies and future mitigation.

Ms Spence: Yes.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Absolutely. Assistant Minister, congratulations on your additional responsibilities. Will the minister make herself available to meet with the family to discuss how these sorts of terrible incidents can be mitigated against in the future?

Senator Chisholm: I am sure the minister would make herself available if that were appropriate.

Senator DEAN SMITH: My last question goes to something I saw in some previous ATSB reports in terms of doing some due diligence on this matter. I understand that there is a section on what has been done as a result. Is that a regular feature of ATSB reports? Is it an ATSB responsibility or a CASA responsibility?

Ms Spence: I think they tend to report after the accident. We provide them with information that they would include in their report to say actions that have been taken to address the issues that they have identified.

Senator D EAN SMITH: And CASA did provide information to the ATSB on this matter for this report?

Ms Spence: This predates my tenure in the organisation. I would have to check. I assume that we would have.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Mr Walker?

Mr Walker : It likewise predates my tenure in this role.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Mr Monahan?

Mr Monahan: It predates me as well.

Mr Marcelja: As a matter of course, we typically do. While we will check the detail for you, we typically do.

Senator DEAN SMITH: Yes. That is my understanding as a matter of course. My question goes to whether that matter of course continued in this instance. Thank you very much, Chair. Thank you, Ms Spence, and other officials for that. We will absolutely take up the opportunity to meet with the family. It is a tragic set of circumstances. Could you take on notice whether or not CASA will release that report and/or have it peer reviewed? I appreciate that. Thanks very much for your time.

“No, I do not weep at the world – I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife.” ― Zora Neale Hurston

I too am 'busy sharpening my oyster knife' - bring on a Royal Commission into CASA, this case is just the tip of the oyster shell...

MTF...P2