On 13 February 2007 at 1830 Western Daylight-saving Time, a Beech Aircraft Corporation 58 Baron was being used for instrument flight training. The flight was being conducted under the visual flight rules (VFR), with the pilot flying, simulating flight under the instrument flight rules (IFR). A second pilot was on board to act as a safety pilot and to lookout for other aircraft. During the conduct of a Busselton, WA non-direction beacon (NDB) approach, the pilot flying became incapacitated, and the safety pilot assumed control of the Baron. The safety pilot landed the aircraft on runway 21 at Busselton and the incapacitated pilot received treatment from attending ambulance officers. The pilot was a 22-year-old, Grade 2 flying instructor, with 1,422 hours total flying experience. Following a check by a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner and 4 days rest, the pilot was approved to return to work.

The pilot stated that about 12 months previously, he had experienced a similar event and after a number of medical tests that did not find any physical problems, it was established that he had been dehydrated.

Initial medical testing following the event found no health problems and it is possible that the pilot's sustenance and fluid intake was inadequate. The pilot changed his eating and fluid intake habits, including using a water bottle while flying.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Aviation Medicine section subsequently suspended the pilot's Class 1 medical and requested the pilot undergo further testing. That testing found that the pilot had epilepsy, and CASA revoked the pilot's medical.

On 6 February 2007, at approximately 1130 Central Summer Time, while operating a passenger charter flight from Melbourne, Vic. to Alice Springs, NT, the pilot of a Beech Aircraft Corporation 300 aircraft, registered VH-MLG, reported feeling his ears 'pop' while at flight level 280 and the aircraft rapidly depressurised.  There were eight persons on board the aircraft.

The pilot reported looking at the aircraft pressurisation panel and noticing that the needles were rapidly moving.  The passenger seated in the right seat (also a pilot) called to the pilot to 'put on oxygen'.  While donning his oxygen mask, the passenger reported that the oxygen hose blew out of the mask when pressurised. He managed to reattach the hose and remain on oxygen.

After checking that the passengers had donned their oxygen masks, the pilot advised air traffic control of the depressurisation and commenced an emergency descent. The aircraft subsequently landed at Alice Springs with no injuries reported.
The pilot reported that it is possible that, while adjusting his seat position prior to top of descent, he inadvertently activated the switch to the DUMP position.

Preliminary report released 5 April 2007

On 5 February 2007, a Cirrus SR22 aircraft, registered VH-HYY, with a pilot and one passenger, was being operated on a private flight from Canberra, ACT to Bankstown NSW. As the aircraft approached the Cecil Park area, the pilot reported to air traffic control that the engine had lost power and that he was attempting a forced landing. Soon after, the aircraft impacted terrain close to the M7 freeway in Cecil Park and both occupants sustained serious injuries.

On 4 February 2007, the crew of a Boeing Company 747-338, registered VH-EBY, shut down the number 3 engine in flight, due to a fuel related problem.

Approaching the top of descent the crew noticed that the number 3 main fuel tank quantity indicator (FQI) was reading zero and that both fuel boost pump low pressure lights for that tank had illuminated. The crew then shut down the number 3 engine, broadcast a PAN broadcast and continued the flight for an uneventful landing at Melbourne.

An examination of the number 3 main fuel tank after landing, found that it was empty. An 'over-read' malfunction in the number 3 FQI had resulted in the crew believing there was a greater quantity of fuel remaining in the tank than was actually present. The planned quantity of fuel for arrival at Melbourne for the number 3 tank was 2,500 kg. An investigation of the incident conducted by the operator determined that the FQI malfunction was caused by either an electrical malfunction, water contamination or a combination of both.

The FQI fault was rectified and the aircraft returned to service.

The investigation also found that the operator's refuelling procedures were not able to accurately verify the base line quantity of fuel on board, or to alert the flight crew or line engineers to the consequences of an erroneous fuel quantity indicator system indication. The investigation reviewed the refuelling procedures for the operator's other fleet types to ensure serviceability of those installations. As a result of this occurrence, the operator is implementing a series of safety actions, including amending its refuelling procedures and conducting a risk assessment of its fuel management policies and procedures.

Preliminary report released 15 March 2007

On 4 February 2007, the owner pilot of a Piper Aircraft Co PA 30 Twin Comanche aircraft, registered VH-DIC, was conducting a private flight from the Gold Coast aerodrome. The pilot was the sole occupant. Approximately 11 minutes after takeoff, at 1622 Eastern Standard Time, the pilot declared an emergency reporting an engine failure and some 15 seconds later that he was also experiencing problems with the left engine. Approximately 13 minutes after departure, the aircraft impacted the water about 100 m from Kingscliff beach, adjacent to the suburb of Casuarina, New South Wales. The pilot sustained fatal injuries.

The aircraft wreckage, including most of the lower centre fuselage, wings, and both engines and propellers, were recovered 2 days after the accident. The right propeller was recovered with the blades in the feathered position. The left propeller blades were recovered in the normal operating range with bending consistent with power being applied at the time of the accident.

The pilot held a commercial pilot license and at the time of the accident, had accrued approximately 2,544 hrs total flying time. He purchased the accident aircraft in 1996, and had accrued approximately 940 hrs in that aircraft.
At the time of the accident, the weather was generally fine.

Preliminary report released 20 April 2007

On 2 February 2007, at about 1530 hours Eastern Daylight-saving Time, a Bell Helicopter Company model 407 (B407) medical helicopter with a pilot, a crewman, a doctor and a paramedic on board departed Tamworth, NSW enroute to a car accident. At about 1610 hours the pilot broadcast on both the area and common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) radio frequencies that they were inbound to Warialda at 15 nautical miles south-west and on descent from 6,500 ft above mean sea level. The pilot later reported that soon after the broadcast, the engine chip detector advisory illuminated on the master caution panel. He reported that approximately 5 seconds later, he heard a loud noise, and the helicopter developed a severe high frequency vibration with a complete loss of engine power. The pilot then broadcast a distress advisory on the Area and CTAF frequencies with position, altitude, passenger information and the problem. During the ensuing auto-rotation emergency landing, the helicopter landed heavily and rolled onto its side. None of the occupants were injured, but the helicopter was destroyed.

At approximately 0955 Central Daylight-saving Time on 8 Jan 2007, the flight crew commenced the take-off roll on runway 23 in a Boeing Company 737-838 aircraft, registered VH-VXG, on a scheduled passenger service from Adelaide, SA to Alice Springs NT.

At a speed of approximately 140 kts, the crew reported an abrupt, uncommanded yaw. Corrective action was applied, engine parameters checked, and the takeoff was continued without further incident. The crew advised Air Traffic Control of the uncommanded yaw and contacted the operator's maintenance watch for advice. The crew subsequently returned the aircraft to Adelaide Airport. The wind at the time was reported to be light (approximately 3 kts) from the east.

Data from the aircraft's Flight Data Recorder was recovered and downloaded by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) for review. That review indicated that the input to the aircraft rudder was not uncommanded and that the rudder pedals moved proportionally to the rudder surface deflection at all times. An engineering examination of the aircraft did not identify any reason for the uncommanded yaw and the aircraft was released back to service.

Due to a previous, similar, event at Adelaide Airport on 15 Dec 2006 (ATSB occurrence 200607627), the aircraft operator sought advice from the aircraft manufacturer. The aircraft manufacturer reviewed the data from the Flight Data Recorder and concluded that the recorded event was not a result of an uncommanded aircraft rudder input, asymmetric thrust, nose-wheel steering or asymmetric brake application.

While the nature of the uncommanded yaw could not be positively identified, it is likely that the event was related to an atmospheric disturbance during the take-off run.

The ATSB continues to monitor such reported uncommanded yaw events and has reported similar events in the past (see occurrence reports 200607627, 200500994 and 199703237 available on the ATSB website: www.atsb.gov.au).

At 1200 Eastern Standard Time, on 3 February 2007, after departing Sydney Airport and while in a climb at approximately 4,000 ft above ground level, the flight crew of a Boeing 747-438 aircraft, registered VH-OJM, heard several loud bangs and felt vibration through the aircraft structure. Observing an increase in the exhaust gas temperature indication for the number 3 engine, the crew following the non-normal checklist, shut down the engine, dumped excess fuel and returned the aircraft to Sydney Airport.

A subsequent examination of the engine found that it had sustained a high-pressure compressor (HPC), stage 1, blade failure. The mode of failure was known to the engine manufacturer, who had attributed it to blade tip rubbing, due to distortion of the engines high pressure case (module 41). To address the problem, the engine manufacturer had introduced service bulletin (SB), SB72-F002. The number 3 engine did not have the service bulletin embodied at the time of the failure.

Although the exact time of the blade tip rubbing and subsequent cracking could not be determined, the engine manufacturer believed that crack initiation to blade failure took approximately 50 cycles.

During the investigation, the aircraft operator experienced a subsequent failure, bringing the total number of failures of this type for the operator to five. Similar failures were reported by another aircraft operator, with 16 similar failures reported in total.

As a result of the incident, the operator accelerated its modification embodiment program and expects to have all installed engines modified by early 2010.

On the afternoon of 1 February 2007, a Piper PA-28R Cherokee Arrow, with the pilot, a flight instructor and a passenger was approaching to land on Runway 22 at Leongatha aerodrome, Vic. At the same time the pilot of a Cessna 188B Agwagon was taking off on Runway 18 at Leongatha.

Both aircraft were operating under the visual flight rules (VFR). When the Arrow was on base leg, the pilot of the Agwagon broadcast on the Leongatha common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that he intended to conduct aerial spraying operations on a property 2 NM to the north of the aerodrome and that he would depart from Runway 18. The instructor and the pilot of the Arrow heard that transmission but did not visually check the position of the Agwagon on the ground. After turning onto final, the pilot of the Arrow broadcast his intention to make a full stop landing on Runway 22, but that transmission was not heard by the pilot of the Agwagon. The pilot of the Agwagon reported that he visually checked the approach to Runway 22 before commencing his takeoff, but did not see the Arrow.

When the Arrow was on the landing roll on Runway 22 and the Agwagon had just become airborne on Runway 18, the two aircraft collided at the intersection of the runways. Both aircraft were substantially damaged but none of the occupants were injured.

The investigation found that the lookout by the pilots of both aircraft was not adequate to ensure that there was no conflicting traffic for their respective operations. Neither aircraft displayed landing lights that may have improved the chance of the pilots seeing each other. Sun glare may have increased the difficulty for the pilots of the Arrow seeing the Agwagon.

On 5 January 2007, a Piper PA-28R-201 Arrow, registered VH-TBB, was approaching Port Macquarie Airport, NSW, in class G airspace under the visual flight rules from the south. The aircraft had descended from 2,500 ft above mean sea level and was approaching to join the circuit on left crosswind for runway 03. At about the same time, a de Havilland Dash 8 aircraft, registered VH-TQZ, and a Piper PA-31 Mojave, registered VH-PGW, both operating under the instrument flight rules, were preparing to depart from the airport. The airspace surrounding Port Macquarie Airport was designated as a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) (R), where the carriage and use of very high frequency radio was required.

On short final for runway 03, the pilot of the Arrow reported seeing the Dash 8 enter the runway. He immediately broadcast his position and prepared to initiate a missed approach. The crew of the Dash 8 saw the approaching Arrow at the same time as the Arrow pilot's broadcast. They advised that they would vacate the runway without delay, vacating via taxiway B1 as the Mojave pilot manoeuvred his aircraft to assist the Dash 8's runway departure. The pilot of the Arrow continued his approach and landed.