ATSB

Taxiing collision involving a Piper PA-32R-300 and a Cessna 152, Moorabbin Airport, Victoria, on 21 July 2025

Occurrence Briefs are concise reports that detail the facts surrounding a transport safety occurrence, as received in the initial notification and any follow-up enquiries. They provide an opportunity to share safety messages in the absence of an investigation. Because occurrence briefs are not investigations under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003, the information in them is de-identified.

What happened

On 21 July 2025, at approximately 1000 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 152, with an instructor and student on board, taxied for circuit training operations on runway 35R at Moorabbin Airport, Victoria. While stationary at holding point A, a privately-operated Piper PA-32R-300 taxied into position behind the Cessna 152, awaiting departure for a flight to Broken Hill, New South Wales. After a brief pause, the PA-32R began rolling forward until the propeller contacted the 152’s tail structure. The collision resulted in minor damage to the PA-32R’s propeller and substantial damage to the 152’s tailplane structures, including the rudder, vertical stabiliser and right elevator (Figure 1). With the force from the propeller contact, debris was also spread along the taxiway. Neither of the 152 crew nor the PA-32R pilot sustained any injuries.

The PA-32R pilot reported that immediately prior to the collision, they had been conducting preparatory navigation-related tasks inside the cockpit and had not held sufficient pressure on the aircraft brakes to prevent the aircraft from moving. With their attention inside the cockpit, they had not realised the aircraft had begun to slowly move forward until the collision occurred.

Figure 1: Post‑incident damage to the Cessna 152

Photo showing post-incident damage to the Cessna 152

Source: Aerodrome operator

Safety message

This incident highlights the importance of pilots maintaining vigilance and situational awareness throughout all phases of flight – including ground operations and taxiing. While manoeuvring in proximity to other aircraft or obstacles, attention must remain outside the aircraft, with ancillary activities such as navigational preparation limited to periods where inadvertent aircraft movement would not create a collision risk.

About this report

Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.

Occurrence summary

Mode of transport	Aviation
Occurrence ID	AB-2025-032
Occurrence date	21/07/2025
Location	Moorabbin Airport
State	Victoria
Occurrence class	Accident
Aviation occurrence category	Ground Operations, Taxiing collision/near collision
Highest injury level	None
Brief release date	18/08/2025

Aircraft details

Manufacturer	Piper Aircraft Corp
Model	PA-32R-300
Sector	Piston
Operation type	Part 91 General operating and flight rules
Departure point	Moorabbin Airport, Victoria
Destination	Broken Hill Airport, New South Wales
Damage	Minor

Aircraft details

Manufacturer	Cessna Aircraft Company
Model	152
Sector	Piston
Operation type	Part 91 General operating and flight rules
Departure point	Moorabbin Airport, Victoria
Destination	Moorabbin Airport, Victoria
Damage	Substantial

Steering failure involving roll-on roll-off cargo ship Matthew Flinders III, north of Waterhouse Island, Tasmania, on 24 July 2025

Summary

The ATSB is investigating an incident involving a loss of steering on board the roll-on/roll-off cargo ship Matthew Flinders III while en route to Lady Barron on Flinders Island, Tasmania, on 24 July 2025.

At approximately 0022 local time, the ship experienced a steering failure, with the rudder locked hard to port about 8 km north of Waterhouse Island. The crew manually realigned the rudder to midship to regain basic steering using differential engine power and attempted to return to Bridport anchorage. While slowly making way back to Bridport the ship's crew managed to identify and correct the steering failure and at 0845 steering was reinstated. The ship then continued to its passage to Lady Barron where it arrived around 1500.

The draft report internal review process has been completed. The draft report has been distributed to directly involved parties (DIPs) to check factual accuracy and ensure natural justice. Any submissions from those parties will be reviewed and, where considered appropriate, the draft report will be amended accordingly.

Following the external review process, any submissions and amendments to the draft report are internally reviewed. Once approved, the final report is prepared for publication and dissemination and released to DIPs prior to its public release.

Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so that appropriate safety action can be taken. A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.

Last updated: 08/05/2026

Occurrence summary

Investigation number	MO-2025-009
Occurrence date	24/07/2025
Occurrence time and timezone	10:22 Australian Eastern Standard Time
Location	North of Waterhouse Island
State	Tasmania
Report status	Pending
Anticipated completion	Q2 2026
Investigation level	Defined
Investigation type	Occurrence Investigation
Investigation phase	Final report: External review
Investigation status	Active
Mode of transport	Marine
Marine occurrence category	Machinery failure
Occurrence class	Incident
Highest injury level	None

Ship details

Name	Matthew Flinders III
IMO number	8957364
Ship type	RORO/passenger ship
Flag	Australia
Owner	Bayles CM & MT
Manager	Bayles CM & MT
Destination	Lady Barron, Tasmania
Injuries	None
Damage	Nil

Saab 340 engine started with propeller strap in place

Image of an aircraft propeller blade and engine cowling. The propeller blade has an orange strap attached to it, and the engine cowling has pins attached.

A Saab 340 was started with a strap still attached to its left propeller following a series of missed checks, an ATSB investigation has found.

On 19 November 2024, the Regional Express aircraft was prepared for departure from Melbourne Airport. After the pilots started the engines, a passenger told the flight attendant they had seen a strap restraining the left propeller before it began to spin.

The flight attendant advised the pilots, who shut down the engines. The propeller strap was then found attached to the propeller, with the pins that connect it to the engine cowling broken on start-up.

ATSB Director Transport Safety Dr Stuart Godley said the strap was inadvertently left on the propeller after being missed in a series of pre-flight checks.

“Actions from multiple individuals contributed to the development of this incident, with the first officer, the captain and the ground handler, who was a trainee, all required to check for the presence of the strap prior to engine start,” Dr Godley said.

The ATSB final report notes the final external walkaround check of the aircraft required the first officer to remove the propeller strap from the propeller, before rotating the propeller to a required position.

However, the first officer inadvertently left the propeller strap attached, instead only disconnecting and removing the strap extension, which connects the propeller strap to the aircraft stairs to prevent them from being retracted while the strap is in place.

“The first officer completed their walkaround and boarded the aircraft, entering the flight deck with just the propeller strap extension in their hands, but without the strap itself,” Dr Godley said.

Once the first officer was in the flight deck, the ground handler assigned to the dispatch, who was a trainee, did not detect the propeller strap from their position at the nose of the aircraft, and provided the crew with a signal to start the engine.

Meanwhile, the pilots conducted the engine start checklist, which included a requirement for the captain to check that the left engine was clear. The captain also did not detect the propeller strap and proceeded to start the engine.

“The absence of a strap extension allowed the aircraft stairs to be retracted, and removed a visual cue, reducing the likelihood that either the captain or the trainee ground handler would detect the propeller strap,” Dr Godley noted.

While the individual actions of multiple personnel contributed to the incident, the ATSB’s investigation identified safety issues in the training and procedures for ground handling personnel.

“This incident highlights the critical safety role performed by ground handling personnel, who are often the last line of defence in ensuring commercial aircraft are prepared safely for departure,” Dr Godley said.

“Operators should seek to ensure that ground handling procedures and training are designed to effectively support the ability to check for safety critical items.”

In addition to the missed check by the ground handler trainee, the ATSB found the ground handler’s supervisor had left the apron before the trainee had completed the dispatch.

It also found Regional Express procedures did not define the roles and expectations of trainers during practical ground handling training.

In response, Regional Express has taken actions aimed at providing greater assurance that ground handling staff and flight crews are adequately checking for propeller straps during aircraft preparation.

“While it is valuable for new personnel to demonstrate their capability prior to being deemed competent, this incident highlights the potential for on-the-job training to introduce safety risks, and why it is critical that supervisors maintain oversight of trainees in safety critical contexts,” Dr Godley said.

“Operators should ensure they clearly articulate the roles and expectations of personnel supervising practical training for safety critical tasks.”

The incident was the second investigated by the ATSB involving a strap being inadvertently left on a Saab 340 propeller. In November 2022, a Link Airways Saab 340 was taking off from Canberra when a propeller strap was thrown free of the blade and embedded in the cabin wall. In addition, cowling pins penetrated the cabin, with one striking a passenger, resulting in a minor bruising injury.

“Both of these incidents highlight that ground handling procedures and training should be effectively designed to support the ability to check for safety critical items,” Dr Godley concluded.

“They should also remind operators to assess the conspicuity of items such as straps, tags and chocks which need to be detected and removed prior to flight, and how ground handling personnel are taught to look for them.”

Read the final report: Aircraft preparation event involving Saab 340B, VH-OLL, at Melbourne Airport, Victoria, on 19 November 2024