The ATSB will conduct an onsite media briefing on its investigation into the 20 July 2014 aircraft accident near Burrumbuttock, NSW.
The Investigator-in-Charge will discuss factual information known to the ATSB at this time and will outline the investigation process.
The ATSB has deployed two investigators, who have already begun work at the accident site. Over the next few days they will examine the circumstances around the accident and gather information from the wreckage site, witnesses and aircraft maintenance records.
The investigators are seeking witness reports that might assist the investigation. Witnesses can call the ATSB on 1800 020 616.
In response to a request from the Ukrainian authorities, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is deploying two of its investigators to Kiev to support an international investigation into the events surrounding the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
The investigators, with backgrounds in aircraft operations and aeronautical engineering, will form part of a concerted international effort to determine the cause of the crash of MH17.
The investigators are expected to arrive in Kiev on Tuesday 22 July.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is satisfied that the unidentified material found 10 kilometres east of Augusta, Western Australia is not associated with missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
This assessment follows the ATSB's careful examination of a set of forensic photographs supplied by the West Australian Police yesterday.
ATSB Chief Commissioner, Mr Martin Dolan, said the ATSB takes all suspected leads in the search for the missing aircraft very seriously.
"The ATSB examined the forensic photographs of the material to see if it has any relevance to the search of MH370," Mr Dolan said.
"After careful and detailed examination by investigative experts, our assessment is that the material is highly unlikely to be related to MH370 and will not be used in the search for the missing aircraft.
"We also passed the photographs to the Malaysian authorities, who are leading the investigation."
Australian Maritime Safety Authority Emergency Response General Manager John Young. Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan.
We would like to update you on some credible information AMSA has received from the ATSB which will see the search area refocused today.
The AMSA search for any sign of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been shifted to an area north following advice from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
An international air crash investigation team in Malaysia provided updated advice to the ATSB, which has examined the information and determined an area 1100 kilometres to the north east of the existing search area is now the most credible lead as to where debris may be located.
The new search area is approximately 319,000 square kilometres, about 1850 kilometres west of Perth.
The Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) is re-tasking satellites to capture images of the new area.
Weather conditions are better in the revised area and ten aircraft have been tasked for today’s search.
They include two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orions, a Japanese Coast Guard Gulfstream 5 jet, a Japanese P3 Orion, a Republic of Korea P3 Orion, a Republic of Korea C130 Hercules, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force Ilyushin IL-76, a United States Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft, and one civil Australian jet acting as a communications relay.
Four of the ten aircraft are overhead the search area, with a further six planes to fly over the area today.
A further RAAF P3 Orion has been placed on standby at RAAF Base Pearce in WA to investigate any reported sightings.
Six ships are relocating to the new search area including HMAS Success and five Chinese ships. Chinese Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) patrol ship, Haixun 01, is in the search area. HMAS Success is expected to arrive in the search area late tomorrow night.
A US towed pinger locator and Bluefin-21 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle have arrived in Perth to assist with location and recovery of the black box.
The depth of the water in the search area is between 2000 and 4000 metres.
These will be fitted to Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield which will arrive in Western Australia in the coming days.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan:
The ATSB, as Australia’s transport investigation agency, is working with a range of other international expert organisations to analyse available data and determine the best area to search.
The key pieces of information being analysed relate to early positional information from the aircraft and later polling of a satellite by an aircraft system.
The new information is based on continuing analysis of radar data between the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca before radar contact was lost.
It indicated the plane was travelling faster than previously estimated, resulting in increased fuel usage and reducing the possible distance it travelled south into the Indian Ocean.
The international investigative team supporting the search continues their analysis, which could still result in further refinement of the potential flight path.
This has been combined with information about the likely performance of the aircraft—such as speed and fuel consumption for example—to arrive at the best assessment of the area in which the aircraft is likely to have entered the water.
The information provided by the international investigative team is the most credible lead we currently have in the search of aircraft wreckage.
However, this information needs to be continually adjusted for the length of time elapsed since the aircraft went missing and the likely drift of any wreckage floating on the ocean surface.
Finally, let me stress that under international convention, Malaysia has investigative responsibility for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. At this stage, the ATSB’s main task is to assist in the search for the aircraft.
The search area for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been updated after a new credible lead was provided to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
As a result, today’s search will shift to an area 1,100 kilometres to the north-east based on updated advice provided by the international investigation team in Malaysia.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), Australia’s investigation agency, has examined this advice and determined that this is the most credible lead to where debris may be located.
The new search area is approximately 319,000 square kilometres and around 1,850 kilometres west of Perth.
The new information is based on continuing analysis of radar data between the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca before radar contact was lost.
It indicated that the aircraft was travelling faster than previously estimated, resulting in increased fuel usage and reducing the possible distance the aircraft travelled south into the Indian Ocean.
ATSB advises the potential flight path may be the subject of further refinement as the international investigative team supporting the search continues their analysis.
The Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation is re-tasking satellites to image the new area.
Weather conditions have improved in the area and ten aircraft are tasked for today’s search.
They include two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orions, a Japanese Coast Guard jet, a Japanese P3 Orion, a Republic of Korea P3 Orion, a Republic of Korea C130 Hercules, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion, a Chinese military Ilyushin IL-76, a United States Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft, and one civil jet acting as a communications relay.
A further RAAF P3 Orion has been placed on standby at Pearce to investigate any reported sightings.
There are now six vessels relocating to the new search area including HMAS Success and five Chinese ships.
AMSA and the ATSB will hold a press conference at 1430 (AEDT) today (28 March 2014) to provide more details on the new search area.
A research report released today by the ATSB reveals that the vast majority of loss of aircraft separation occurrences in Australia present little or no risk of collision, but more can be done to improve safety. (A loss of separation occurs when two aircraft under air traffic control come closer than a minimum separation distance.)
The report shows that Australia has one of the lowest loss-of-separation occurrence rates, attributable to civilian air traffic control, in the world. A loss of separation (LOS) between aircraft under air traffic control happens on average once every 3 days. In almost 90 per cent of LOS occurrences there was no or a low risk of aircraft colliding. Australia has about six LOS occurrences each year that represent an elevated safety risk. However, a LOS does not normally indicate that there was a near-collision between aircraft. There have been no midair collisions in Australia involving aircraft being provided with a separation service by air traffic control.
The report also reveals that half of all LOS occurrences are attributable to air traffic controller actions, while the other half result from pilot actions. The ATSB considers that more can be done to learn from LOS occurrences attributable to pilot actions in civil airspace.
The number of LOS occurrences under military control was found to be relatively high and most are the result of controller actions. The report finds that current regulatory arrangements do not enable the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to give the same level of safety assurance for civilian aircraft under military control as it does for aircraft under civilian control. The ATSB has issued safety recommendations to the Department of Defence and CASA to address the safety issues identified in the report.
The release of this report coincides with the release of two other ATSB investigation reports into separate incidents (one near Ceduna, SA and the other about 900 km northwest of Karratha, WA) that involved losses of separation between passenger aircraft under air traffic control. As part of the Karratha investigation, the ATSB issued two safety recommendations to Airservices Australia. These recommendations were issued in response to the limited formal guidance available on the monitoring of newly endorsed controllers and the use of clearances that allow aircraft to operate anywhere between two flight levels, rather than at a single level.
All three reports are available on the ATSB website.
AR-2012-034 Breakdown of separation between aircraft in Australia: 2008 to 2011
AO-2011-144 Breakdown of separation - Boeing 737, VH-VXM and Boeing 737, VH-VUV, near Ceduna Airport, SA, 8 November 2011
AO-2012-012 Loss of separation between Airbus A320, 9V-TAZ and Airbus A340, A6-EHH near TANEM, 907 km NW of Karratha, WA, 18 January 2012
Fact Sheet
Loss of separation between aircraft in Australian airspace 2008 to 2012
How is aircraft separation maintained?
Air traffic controllers apply separation standards in controlled airspace to keep aircraft apart and to reduce the risk of collision. They do this by actively instructing pilots when, where and at what speed their aircraft can operate.
In high reliability systems such as Air Traffic Control (ATC), there are multiple risk controls in place that reduce the likelihood of human error occurring. However, on rare occasions an error will still occur. Additional risk controls or defences are in place to detect and recover from these errors, or mitigate the consequences. Those controls include route structures, monitoring by pilots and controllers, ATC system alerts (such as the short-term conflict alert – STCA), aircraft traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS) and visual see-and-avoid.
What is a loss of separation (LOS)?
A LOS occurs when the separation between two aircraft is less than the prescribed standard (vertically or laterally). This standard varies depending on the airspace classification. A LOS does not mean that the aircraft were at immediate risk of colliding or that the incident was a ‘near miss’. It means that the required separation standards were not maintained.
Do losses of separation represent a significant safety risk in Australia?
Data from international benchmarking shows that Australia’s civil Air Traffic Service-attributable loss of separation occurrence rates are among the lowest in the world. ATSB research reveals that a LOS between aircraft under air traffic control jurisdiction happens on average once every 3 days. In almost 90 per cent of LOS occurrences there was no or a low risk of aircraft colliding. Australia has about six LOS occurrences each year that represent an elevated safety risk. However, a LOS does not normally indicate that there was a near-collision between aircraft.
How does a LOS occur?
Both the air traffic controller and pilots of aircraft under the controller’s jurisdiction have responsibilities for establishing and maintaining separation. ATSB research shows that air traffic controller actions contribute to about half of all LOS occurrences while pilot actions contribute to the other half. Inevitably, human error will occur, but there are many levels of defence to safely manage the results of these errors. These defences ensure that even if a LOS does occur, the chance of aircraft colliding is very remote.
What can be done to improve the safety of aircraft separation in Australia?
While the vast majority of LOS occurrences present no or low risk, the ATSB has identified several safety issues that need to be addressed to further enhance safety. These include:
More attention could be paid to learning from LOS occurrences attributable to pilot actions in civil airspace.
While military only control a relatively small amount of airspace in Australia, the rate of LOS occurrences per aircraft movement is relatively high and most have contributing controller actions.
Current regulatory arrangements do not enable the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to give the same level of safety assurance for civilian aircraft under military control as it does for aircraft under civilian control.
The ATSB has issued safety recommendations to CASA and the Department of Defence to address these safety issues.
More information
The ATSB’s research report Loss of separation (LOS) between aircraft in Australian airspace – January 2008 to June 2012. This report provides a thorough analysis of loss of aircraft separation in Australia.
The ATSB’s website also contains investigation reports into LOS events.
The ATSB today released a report warning pilots on the dangers of flying visually at night following a number of fatal accidents that occurred in dark-night conditions.
The report comes shortly after the release of the ATSB’s investigation into the fatal helicopter crash at Lake Eyre where the pilot likely became spatially disoriented during a visual flight at night.
ATSB Chief Commissioner, Mr Martin Dolan, said accidents involving visual flight at night are becoming an increasing safety concern in Australian aviation.
“Over the past 20 years, the ATSB has investigated 36 accidents as a result of visual flight at night. Of these accidents, 27 had fatal outcomes which tragically led to 58 fatalities,” Mr Dolan said.
“Even when undertaken by appropriately qualified pilots, night flight clearly presents an added level of complexity.
“But accidents of this nature are avoidable and can be managed by pilots maintaining their proficiency, knowing their own personal limitations and only flying in environments that do not exceed their capabilities.”
The report, which features case studies on several night-flight accidents, helps pilots better understand and manage the dangers of flying at night.
The ATSB will conduct an on-site media briefing on its investigation into the 9 December 2013 aircraft accident near the Lakelands Senior High School, South Lake, WA.
The Investigator-in-Charge, Mr Alex Hood will discuss factual information known to the ATSB at this time and will outline the investigation process.
The ATSB has deployed four investigators, who will begin work at the accident site on Tuesday afternoon 10 December 2013. Over the next two days they will examine the wreckage site, interview witnesses and collect maintenance records.
The investigators are seeking witness reports including any video footage that might assist the investigation. Witnesses can call the ATSB on 1800 020 616.
Where: Leisure Centre Car Park, South Lake Drive, South Lakes WA
The ATSB will conduct an on-site media briefing on its investigation into the 23 September 2013 aircraft accident near Hamilton Airport, Victoria.
The Investigator-in-Charge will discuss factual information known to the ATSB at this time and will outline the investigation process.
The ATSB has deployed three investigators, who have already begun work at the accident site. Over the next few days they will examine the wreckage site, interview witnesses and collect maintenance records.
The investigators are seeking witness reports that might assist the investigation. Witnesses can call the ATSB on 1800 020 616.
The ATSB will conduct an onsite media briefing on its investigation into the 18 September 2013 aircraft accident at Geraldton Airport, Western Australia.
The Investigator-in-Charge, Mr Andrew Roberton will discuss factual information known to the ATSB at this time and will outline the investigation process.
The ATSB has deployed two investigators, who have already begun work at the accident site. Over the next few days they will examine the wreckage site, interview witnesses and collect maintenance records.
The investigators are seeking witness reports including any video footage that might assist the investigation. Witnesses can call the ATSB on 1800 020 616.
Where: Airport Road, approximately 150 m from the intersection with the Geraldton – Mt Magnet Road.
