The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) today released its second interim report into an incident involving a Virgin Australia Regional Airlines ATR 72 aircraft near Sydney on 20 February 2014.

During a flight from Canberra to Sydney, the aircraft sustained a 'pitch disconnect' while descending into Sydney. The pitch disconnect occurred when the two flight crew attempted to slow the aircraft down and inadvertently applied opposing control inputs (one pilot pushed the control at the same time the other pilot pulled), and resulted in significant damage to the aircraft's tail structure.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said that as a result of extensive investigation and aeronautical engineering analysis of the incident, the ATSB has issued safety recommendations to the aircraft manufacturer (ATR), the European aviation safety regulator (EASA) and Australia's aviation safety regulator (CASA).

"The ATSB released its first interim report into this incident in July last year. That report identified a significant safety issue relating to the strength of the aircraft's tail structure in the event of a pitch disconnect," Mr Hood says.

"Our concern is that, given the design of the ATR42 and ATR72 aircraft, opposing control inputs can result in aerodynamic loads that may exceed the design strength of the tail structure, causing significant damage."

"Since we identified this issue, our aeronautical and structural engineers have conducted extensive analysis based on additional data provided by ATR. The findings of that analysis, supported by an independent peer review from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, confirmed our initial concerns."

"The ATSB welcomes the engagement with the European and Australian regulators EASA and CASA, and the safety action taken by the manufacturer ATR, who continues to conduct further engineering analysis of the issues identified by the ATSB."

Mr Hood also welcomed the actions taken by the two Australian operators, Virgin Australia and Toll Aviation, to reduce the potential for a recurrence of this event as well as to manage the risk of adverse outcomes should such an event occur.

"Given ATSB's level of concern as to whether the aircraft has sufficient strength to withstand the loads resulting from a pitch disconnect, and as a result of our investigation to date, we have recommended that:

• ATR complete an assessment of the safety issue as soon as possible to determine if the aircraft can safely withstand the aerodynamic loads from a pitch disconnect
• EASA monitor and review ATR's engineering assessment and take immediate action if the analysis identifies that the aircraft does not have sufficient strength
• CASA review ATR's engineering assessment and take immediate action if the analysis identifies that the aircraft does not have sufficient strength."

Under legislation, ATR, EASA and CASA have 90 days to respond to the ATSB's safety recommendations.

The ATSB has and will continue to work closely with ATR, EASA, CASA and the Australian operators of these aircraft throughout the remainder of this investigation and will immediately bring any additional safety issues that may be identified to their attention.

This press release should be read in conjunction with the second interim report and explanatory statement available on the ATSB website at AO-2014-032.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hoods talks about the traffic management occurrence involving Airbus A320, VH-VQS and Beech Aircraft Corporation BE 76, VH-EWL at Ballina/Byron Gateway Airport, NSW on 14 January 2016.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

ATSB investigation AO-2016-003

The ATSB will host a special event Wednesday morning to unveil the propeller of a Supermarine Walrus aircraft generously donated by aviation legend Peter Lloyd, AC OBE MID.

Peter will donate this significant piece of Australian aviation history at a ceremony in the foyer of ATSB headquarters at 11 am, AEST, Wednesday 26 April 2017.

Attending the event will be:

• Peter Lloyd, AC OBE MID, President Emeritus and Life Member, Safeskies Australia
• Mike Mrdak AO, Secretary, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
• Greg Hood, Chief Commissioner, Australian Transport Safety Bureau

Where:   The foyer, 62 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra City, ACT

When:    11 am, AEST, Wednesday 26 April 2017

ATSB Investigator Laura Henwood will provide an on-site media briefing at 2 PM (ACST) Thursday, 29 June 2017, at the intersection of Sunnybrae Road and Walker Road, Suttontown, South Australia.

Three people died when a SOCATA TB-10 Tobago aircraft, registered VH-YTM, collided with terrain at 10.30 am on Wednesday 28 June 2017. The accident occurred about 3km south-west of Mount Gambier Airport.

The briefing will outline the known facts of the accident, the investigation team’s on-site activities and the investigation process.

ATSB investigation AO-2017-069

Who:       ATSB Investigator Laura Henwood

Where:    The intersection of Sunnybrae Road and Walker Road, Suttontown, SA.

When:     2 PM ACST, Thursday 29 June 2017

The detached propeller from the Regional Express (REX) SAAB 340 was located by NSW Police at around noon today.

The propeller was located by NSW Police helicopter PolAir1 in an area of bushland near Revesby in Sydney’s south-west.

The ATSB is now working with NSW Police to recover the 100kg propeller assembly in preparation for examination.

Since the propeller assembly detached from the engine on a flight from Albury to Sydney on 17 March, the ATSB has been calculating its likely trajectory, using data from the aircraft’s flight data recorder. The propeller was located in an area broadly consistent with the ATSB’s calculations.

The ATSB investigation team will examine the propeller assembly to determine the contributing factors that led to its detachment from the aircraft.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood thanked NSW Police for their ongoing cooperation with locating and recovering the propeller.

More information about this incident and the ATSB’s investigation is available on the ATSB’s website.

Link to the PolAir1 vision(Opens in a new tab/window).

The ATSB has today released a preliminary report into the in-flight propeller detachment involving a Regional Express SAAB 340 aircraft near Sydney Airport on 17 March 2017.

The ATSB’s inspection of the aircraft identified that the propeller shaft fractured, leading to the separation of the propeller.

An inspection of the propeller at the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra revealed a fatigue fracture that began in the propeller mounting flange (the part that attaches the propeller to the gearbox) and continued into the propeller shaft. The inspection also found corrosion near the initiation of the fracture.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood says the ATSB has been working closely with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), SAAB, GE Aviation (engine manufacturer) and Regional Express during the investigation.

“This is the first known critical failure of this type, initiating within the propeller hub flange of the GE Aviation CT7-9B engine,” Mr Hood said.

“Both the operator and the engine manufacturer have already taken proactive safety action in response to the ATSB’s safety advisory notice.

“GE Aviation is conducting metallurgical analysis on the propeller flange and hardware at its laboratories in Cincinnati, USA. They are also inspecting additional propeller gearboxes and reminding all operators to follow maintenance and inspection procedures. GE Aviation will release additional maintenance and inspection recommendations if they become necessary.

“Regional Express has quarantined all propeller gearboxes with propeller shafts of the same series as that installed in the aircraft involved in the incident.”

The ATSB’s ongoing investigation will focus on maintenance procedures associated with the propeller gear box shaft and examine factors that may have contributed to the fatigue fracture at the propeller mounting flange.

Mr Hood says the ATSB will continue to work closely with all involved parties to determine the cause of the propeller detachment.

Read the preliminary report AO-2017-032: In-flight propeller malfunction involving SAAB 340 VH-NRX, 19 km SW of Sydney Airport, NSW, on 17 March 2017

The ATSB will tomorrow (Wednesday 22 February 2017) conduct a media briefing on its investigation into the aircraft accident that occurred at Essendon Airport, Victoria.

The ATSB’s Chief Commissioner, Mr Greg Hood will discuss factual information known to the ATSB at this time and will outline the investigation process. He will be joined by Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Frewen and Mr Chris Cowan, Essendon Fields CEO.

The investigators are seeking witness reports that might assist the investigation. Witnesses can call the ATSB on 1800 020 616 or email ATSBinfo@atsb.gov.au

Where: The Australian Events Centre, 1 Larkin St, Essendon Fields VIC 3041

When: 10:00 AM AEDT, 22 February 2017

Media contact: 1800 020 616

Today the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its report MH370 – First Principles Review and CSIRO’s supporting report The search for MH370 and ocean surface drift.

The First Principles Review report summarises the outcomes of a meeting conducted in November and attended by Australian and international experts in data processing, satellite communications, accident investigation, aircraft performance, flight operations, sonar data, acoustic data and oceanography.  

The purpose of the First Principles Review was to reassess and validate existing evidence and to consider any new analysis that may assist in identifying the location of MH370. The CSIRO report, which should be read in conjunction with the ATSB report, was commissioned by the ATSB earlier in 2016 and was considered by the experts attending the First Principles Review.

The experts confirmed their agreement that the analysis of the last two SATCOM transmissions, the likely housed position of the main flaps at impact, and results from the recent flight simulations indicate with high probability that the aircraft lies within 25 NM of the 7th arc that had been derived from analysis of the last satellite communications with the aircraft.

Given the high confidence in the search undertaken to date, the experts agreed that the previously defined indicative underwater area is unlikely to contain the missing aircraft between latitudes 36°S and 39.3°S along the 7th arc.

The experts also agreed that CSIRO’s debris drift modelling results present strong evidence that the aircraft is most likely to be located to the north of the current indicative underwater search area. When considered together with updated flight path modelling, the experts concluded that an unsearched area between latitudes 33°S and 36°S along the 7th arc of approximately 25,000 km², has the highest probability of containing the wreckage of the aircraft.

MH370 disappeared on 8 March 2014 with 239 people on board. Australia, Malaysia and People's Republic of China have been working together to find the aircraft since that time.

Given the international protocols for aircraft recovery scenarios such as this, Malaysia will continue to take the central role in the determination of any future course of action in the search for MH370.

This report has been provided to the three principal Governments involved in the search effort for their consideration.

Read reports: MH370 – First Principles Review and The search for MH370 and ocean surface drift.

The large piece of what is likely to be a wing flap was found by locals on Pemba Island, just off the coast of Tanzania, Africa on 23 June 2016.

Malaysia and Australia have worked with Tanzanian officials to assume responsibility for the wing flap. Technical specialists from the ATSB are working with Malaysian investigators to determine if it is from the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, MH370.

To date, the ATSB has examined four pieces of debris on behalf of Malaysia and determined them to be almost certainly from MH370. This is in addition to the flaperon found on La Reunion Island on 29 July 2015 and positively identified by French officials as originating from flight MH370.

Media contacts:
ATSB – atsbinfo@atsb.gov.au
DCA Malaysia – fatin@dca.gov.my

The ATSB will today conduct an onsite media briefing on its investigation into the 19 July 2015 aircraft accident near Wedderburn Airport, NSW.

The Investigator-in-Charge, Mr Mal Christie will discuss factual information known to the ATSB at this time and will outline the investigation process.

The ATSB has deployed four investigators to the accident site. They are expected to be on site for two to three days. The investigators have specialisations in human factors, aircraft engineering and aircraft operations.

The investigators are seeking witness reports that might assist the investigation. Witnesses can call the ATSB on 1800 020 616.

Where: Cnr of Blackburn Road and Lysaght Road, Wedderburn, NSW

When: 4:00 PM AEST, 20 July 2015