The ATSB has a team of four investigators at the site of the Beech King Air accident near Normanton in Queensland. The team will be examining the aircraft and its systems. Based on initial information, pilot and passenger incapacitation will also be considered.

In June 1999 another Beech King Air was involved in an incident where the cabin pressurisation system did not operate and the pilot became temporarily incapacitated. Although the final report is yet to be released, the ATSB issued interim recommendations on 28 July and 7 October 1999 regarding:

a) the fitment of passenger oxygen mask container doors;

b) automatic deployment of passenger oxygen systems and automatic activation of cabin altitude alert systems; and

c) an audible warning to operate in conjunction with the cabin altitude alert system.

The Bureau's interim recommendations and responses to the recommendations are available.

These and any other recommendations relating to this type of aircraft will be reviewed in the context of the investigation near Normanton.

The Investigator-In-Charge of the June 1999 investigation is a member of the team investigating the latest accident.

If any new information becomes available from the accident site the ATSB will conduct further media briefings. Details of these briefings will be posted on this web page and through media alerts.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was advised on 27 December 2008 of an occurrence that day involving a Qantas Airbus A330-300 aircraft while in cruise at FL360 (36,000 ft) enroute from Perth to Singapore.

At about 0829 UTC (1729 Local Time), the autopilot disconnected and the crew received an ECAM message (NAV IR 1 Fault) indicating a problem with ADIRU Number 1. The crew actioned the Airbus Operations Engineering Bulletin (OEB) procedure by selecting the IR 1 push-button to OFF and the ADR 1 push-button to OFF. Both OFF lights illuminated. The crew elected to return to Perth and an uneventful overweight landing was conducted. At the time that the autopilot disconnected, the aircraft was approximately 260 nautical miles (NM) North-West of Perth airport and approximately 350 NM South of Learmonth airport.

It is very early in the investigation and too soon to draw any conclusions as to specific causal factors involved in this incident. As it appears to be a similar event to a previous event involving an A330 aircraft (AO-2008-070 on 7 Oct 2008) it will be included as part of the earlier investigation. The ATSB investigation will explore all aspects of the operation of the aircraft, including examination of recorded data, and any commonalities with past occurrences.

While the investigation is likely to take a number of months, the ATSB has been working with a number of national and international parties on this investigation and plans to release an Interim Factual report by about mid-February 2009.

Should any critical safety issues emerge that require urgent attention, the ATSB will immediately bring such issues to the attention of the relevant authorities who are best placed to take prompt action to address those issues.

ADIRU = Air Data Inertial Reference Unit
ECAM = Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor
IR = Inertial Reference
ADR = Air Data Reference
NAV = Navigation

On Sunday afternoon 6 August, the ATSB was notified that a helicopter had crashed at approximately 6:04 pm EST. The helicopter is believed to have been on a scenic flight with a pilot and four passengers when it crashed near Norman Reef approximately 30 NM NNE of Cairns. All occupants were quickly rescued.

ATSB investigators, specialising in engineering and operations have commenced an investigation.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has commenced an investigation into a reported loss of power at the Sydney Air Traffic Services Centre.

The ATSB investigation team includes investigators with specialist Air Traffic Control and Engineering skills.

One aspect of the investigation will involve the highly technical Australian Advanced Air Traffic System (TAAATS) environment, consequently it is appropriate and necessary that the team include investigators with specialist skills in that area. One investigator's skills were developed during previous employment with Airservices Australia in the development phase of TAAATS.

The team has been structured in such a manner as to ensure that any perceptions of a conflict of interest have been assessed and appropriate management processes applied.

In accordance with ATSB procedures, all reports and recommendations arising from this investigation will be scrutinised by a review panel consisting of senior ATSB management.

Prior to the review panel's final scrutiny, the standard process where Interested Parties have the opportunity to comment on the draft report will occur to ensure fairness and accuracy.

A media conference to release the Preliminary Factual Report on the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the A340-500 Tail Strike at Melbourne Airport on 20 March 2009, will be held on: Thursday 30 April 2009

Where: ATSB offices, Level 2, 62 Northbourne Avenue, CANBERRA

Time: 10:30 am (local time)

Mr Julian Walsh, Director of Aviation Safety Investigation will discuss factual information known to the investigation team at this time and will outline the investigation process.

Last night, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was informed that a Cessna 206 aircraft had disappeared from radar near Cairns at approximately 6:51pm EST. The weather at the time was reported to be very poor, with low cloud, restricted visibility and heavy rain. It is believed that there were 2 persons on board the aircraft and search and rescue operation was commenced immediately.

This morning, Queensland police reported that one body and a small amount of aircraft wreckage had been recovered.

ATSB investigators, specialising in Air Traffic Control and operations are enroute to the accident site.

At approximately 0700 on Thursday 22 June, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) received a report of a possible collision between and cargo ship and a fishing vessel off the north coast of NSW in the early hours of 21 June.

A crew member of the fishing vessel was picked up last night after spending 18 hours in a dingy. There is still one crew member missing and AusSar have a search in progress using 6 helicopters and 3 fixed wing aircraft. Some wreckage has been recovered.

The ATSB has sent 2 investigators to the north coast of NSW to commence an investigation.

In accordance with ATSB procedures, all reports and recommendations arising from this investigation will be scrutinised by a review panel consisting of senior ATSB management.

Prior to the review panel's final scrutiny, the standard process where Interested Parties have the opportunity to comment on the draft report will occur to ensure fairness and accuracy.

As the wreckage of Whyalla Airlines flight 904 has now been located, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has engaged a South Australian company, which has a vessel with heavy lift capability, to recover the aircraft.

Depending on factors such as the weather, it is expected that the salvage operation would commence early on Friday 9 June.

Once the wreckage has been transported to a secure site a specialist examination will be undertaken to assist in establishing the airworthiness of the aircraft immediately prior to the accident. In addition, the crashworthiness of the aircraft, and its effect on the surviveability of its occupants will be examined.

Collection and analysis of other evidence associated with the accident continues.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has commenced an investigation into a reported High Profile incident where the crews of an A320 aircraft and a Boeing 767 took evasive action in response to a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Resolution Advisory when they were apparently cleared to fly at the same flight level in opposite directions.

The ATSB investigation team includes investigators with specialist Air Traffic Control and Human Performance skills.

One aspect of the investigation will involve the highly technical Australian Advanced Air Traffic System (TAAATS) environment, consequently it is appropriate that the team include investigators with specialist skills in that area. The investigator's skills were developed during employment with Airservices Australia in the development phase of TAAATS.

The team has been structured in such a manner as to ensure that any perceptions of a conflict of interest have been assessed and appropriate management processes applied.

In accordance with ATSB procedures, all reports and recommendations arising from this investigation will be scrutinised by a review panel consisting of Senior ATSB Management.

Prior to the review panel's final scrutiny, the standard process where Interested Parties have the opportunity to comment on the draft report will occur.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau tonight announced that, with great regret and after serious consideration, it is withdrawing Mr Bob Armstrong from the investigation into the Whyalla Airlines accident.

The ATSB values deeply its reputation for the highest standards of investigation. Mr Armstrong embodies these standards.

The ATSB's regret is that the appearance of a conflict of interest may have been created by unjust claims made in relation to his previous service -- perhaps 100 hours of flight time -- with Whyalla Airlines over the period 1995-97.

Mr Armstrong was open and up-front with Bureau management and with other parties to the investigation, including the South Australian police, about this period of limited service. Nothing more could have been asked of him.

Bureau management took the matter seriously, and considered how best to ensure that no reasonable query could be made against the investigation team. We settled upon the addition of a more senior investigator to oversight the inquiry. Of substantial significance in this decision was the impossible restriction that would apply to investigations if, for example, this principle extended to ex-Airservices Australia employees, requiring us to bar any ex-Airservices employee from investigating air traffic control incidents. As there is only one employer of civilian air traffic services officers in Australia, a perpetual scope for conflict exists.

However, given that the appearance of a conflict has been raised in this case, and given that the Bureau necessarily accords absolute primacy to the integrity and independence of its investigation, the ATSB has withdrawn Mr Armstrong.

The Bureau will in future make public to all media at the outset of its investigations whether an investigator has any apparent conflict. It will not, however, withdraw officers if the conflict is -- as it was in this case -- judged to be marginal at best.