[Peetwo]

Popinjay cries poor, while continuing with no 'new learnings' investigations??

Via the “For want of a nail the shoe was lost” thread:

Back to RRAT for DCVs; a Popinjay confession; and Harmonising the National transport safety regulatory system??

RECOMMENDATION 9.4 – IMPROVING SAFETY THROUGH NO-BLAME INVESTIGATION AND RESEARCH The Australian Government should:  provide a sufficient annual appropriation to enable the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to carry out its functions, both existing and as proposed in this inquiry  formalise the role of the ATSB in conducting investigations and research involving Domestic Commercial Vessels and rail  amend the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 to enable the ATSB to conduct research and investigate incidents involving heavy vehicles, and autonomous vehicle technologies  direct the ATSB to undertake a clearly defined, phased transition into the heavy vehicle role, including an initial period of data collection and research to identify any systemic issues and incident types with the potential to inform policy. The costs of the ATSB should not be subject to cost recovery from industry, but the States and Territories should support the Australian Government by providing a consistent contribution to its total costs, rather than on a case-by-case basis.

Which got me going back to this, recently updated, ATSB webpage: https://www.atsb.gov.au/about_atsb/inquiry-submissions

To which it can be discovered that the ATSB made submissions to the NTRR:

National Transport Regulatory Reform Inquiry draft report

National Transport Regulatory Reform Inquiry issues paper

Plus the Review of DCV safety legislation: 

 Independent Review of Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety Legislation and Costs and Charging Arrangements

Organisation conducting the inquiry

Independent reviewers, reporting to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government 

Purpose of the inquiry

The Australian Government has commissioned an independent review to consider whether Australia’s legal framework regulating the safety of domestic commercial vessels is fit for purpose. The review is also to consider whether this regulatory framework is being delivered efficiently and effectively, and to consider options for future cost recovery arrangements.

Date of the ATSB's submission

5 April 2022

Summary of the ATSB's submission

This submission is a response to the consultation aid, released in February 2022, prepared for phase 1 of the independent review. The ATSB’s submission outlines matters for the reviewers to consider in relation to expanding the ATSB’s role.

Key points in the ATSB's submission

• The ATSB does not have an agreed role in relation to DCVs.
  
• In general terms, ATSB investigations improve safety.
  
• The ATSB does not have resources to prepare a considered comment on whether expanding its remit to include DCVs would support substantially improved safety outcomes.
  
• Any recommended change to the ATSB’s role should be considered in the context of any other jurisdictional expansion.
  

Ref: https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default/fi...bureau.pdf

Which brings me (finally) to Popinjay's confession...  

From page 4 of the ATSB DCV submission:

3.1.4 The ATSB is not in a position to continue conducting DCV-only investigations or taking on a
new role in DCVs in future unless new resources are made available for this purpose.
The ATSB’s financial position is already under strain in relation to its current jurisdiction.
The majority of the ATSB’s investigations are into aviation occurrences. As an indication,
in 2020-21, 85 per cent of the investigations the ATSB initiated were into aviation accidents
and incidents.

3.1.5 However, even with that level of activity, the ATSB did not investigate enough accidents
and incidents to fully meet the international standards and recommended practices
for aircraft accident and incident investigation outlined in Annex 13 to the Convention
on International Civil Aviation. In the rail sector, the ATSB is critically underfunded
to conduct rail investigations across Australia. The Productivity Commission inquiry into
national transport regulatory reform noted some of the challenges of the current rail funding
arrangements for the ATSB and recommended the Australian Government provide sufficient
annual appropriation to enable to ATSB to carry out its existing functions2.

 

Yet today, with that in mind, we get this from the ATSB...

Large bird carcass found at Chinchilla aerial application aircraft accident site



Key points

• Air Tractor aircraft was conducting spraying operations typically about 2 metres above the ground;
  
• A large bird carcass, later identified as an Australian bustard, was found in the cockpit;
  
• Preliminary report contains no analysis or findings but details information from the investigation’s early evidence collection phase.
  

A large bird carcass was found in the cockpit of an Air Tractor aerial application aircraft which had collided with the ground during spraying operations on a property near Chinchilla, Queensland, a preliminary report from the ATSB’s on-going investigation details.

The preliminary report contains no analysis or findings but details information from the investigation’s early evidence collection phase, and notes that the Air Tractor AT-502B had been conducting spray runs on the morning of 19 September 2022.

Around 1200, the loader at the private airstrip about 24 NM (44 km) south-east of Chinchilla from where the Air Tractor had been operating attempted to call the pilot to ask whether they needed more fuel.

Concerned with having received no response, the loader phoned the operations manager, who in turn contacted nearby farmers to assist with locating the aircraft.

At about 1215, a local farmer found the aircraft in the paddock where the pilot had been spraying. The pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

“An ATSB examination of the accident site found that the aircraft had impacted terrain with the fuselage in a near vertical attitude, with its propeller and engine buried in the soft earth, and the wreckage contained to a small area,” said ATSB Director Transport Safety Dr Stuart Godley.

Ground scars and damage to the left wing indicated that the wing struck the ground at about 30° to the horizontal, and examination of the propeller and engine indicated that the engine was delivering power at the time of the impact.

There was no post-impact fire.

“A large bird carcass was found in the cockpit and the bird’s wings were located about 300 m north of the wreckage, in-line with the aircraft’s track,” said Dr Godley.

Biological residue from the bird was found outside the right cockpit window.

“At the request of the ATSB, the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics at the Australian Museum analysed biological specimens of the bird, identifying them as being from an Ardeotis australis, commonly known as an Australian bustard or Plains turkey.”

The Australian bustard is a large bird, 80 to 120 cm in height, with an average weight for an adult of 4.5 kg, with males weighing up to 8 kg. They are capable of flying but are mostly ground dwelling.

“The aircraft operator advised that for the field where the accident occurred, they expected that it would be sprayed at a height of about 2 m (6 ft) above the ground, to be just above the weeds.”

Dr Godley noted that the investigation is continuing, and will include research into the nature of birdstrikes and similar occurrences.

“Bird strikes resulting in fatal aircraft accidents are very rare, however, the ATSB is currently investigating a separate accident where a wedge-tailed eagle bird carcass was located near the accident site of a Bell LongRanger helicopter, which experienced an in-flight break-up near Maroota, New South Wales on 9 July 2022.”

The continuing investigation into the Chinchilla accident will include further review and examination of electronic components recovered from the accident site, operational documentation and maintenance records.

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

“However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken,” Dr Godley said.

Read the report AO-2020-043:Birdstrike and collision with terrain involving Air Tractor AT-502B, VH-KDR, 32 km east-north-east of Chinchilla Airport, Queensland, on 19 September 2022

Publication Date
16/12/2022

"..and will include research into the nature of birdstrikes and similar occurrences..."

You mean like this?? Australian aviation wildlife strike statistics 2008 – 2017

Godley justifies continuing because we now have 2 fatals involving birdstrikes in less than a year.  Yet we have two complex midair collisions killing 6 pob in 2 years and we have nothing to see here?? - FDS!   

MTF...P2