Concern summary
Safety concern regarding the conduct of circuit operations by [Operator's] aircraft operating at [Location] aerodrome
Reporter's deidentified concern
A reporter has raised a safety concern regarding the conduct of circuit operations by [Operator's] aircraft operating at [Location] aerodrome. The reporter has stated that they have observed aircraft belonging to [Operator] operating contrary to AIP requirements on a number of occasions. This includes conducting irregular approaches to non-active runways, contrary to aircraft already established in the circuit.
The reporter has further stated that on a number of these occasions radio calls were not heard from [Operator's] aircraft, and calls made by other aircraft were not responded to. In some instances, this has resulted in other aircraft conducting go-arounds or taking other evasive manoeuvres on the ground due to inadequate separation. The reporter is concerned that these actions increase the risk of collision when operating at [Location] aerodrome and has stated that this risk is elevated due to the frequent use of the aerodrome for dual and solo flight training.
Named party's response
[Operator] advised that due to the proximity of [Location] township to the airport, their standard operating procedure is to use runway [a] for departure and runway [b] for arrivals to avoid overflying the township when carrying agricultural spraying loads. [Operator] has further advised that this requirement is not well known amongst aircraft that are not based at [Location] and can cause confusion when arranging separation with other aircraft.
2nd named party's response
After being approached by the ATSB, [Location] Aerodrome has advised that a review will be conducted of the current En Route Supplement Australia aerodrome details with the intention of including the local procedures of [Operator] aircraft for the awareness of other aircraft operating at the aerodrome.
REPCON details
| Date reported | 14/06/2022 |
|---|---|
| Published date | 27/07/2022 |
| Affected operation/industry | Aviation: General aviation |
| Concern subject type | Aviation: Other |
| Transport mode | Aviation |