Date Issue Released
Issue number
Issue Owner
Airbus
Safety issue title
Priority of NAV ADR DISAGREE alert
Safety Issue Description

Although the NAV ADR DISAGREE had more immediate safety implications relating to unreliable airspeed, the ECAM alert priority logic placed this alert below the engine-related faults. As a result, the NAV ADR DISAGREE alert was not immediately visible to the flight crew due to the limited space available on the ECAM display.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: Air transport
Issue number
Issue Owner
Qantas Airways
Safety issue title
Re-evaluating hold speeds for a change in altitude
Safety Issue Description

The operator provided flight crew with limited training and guidance relating to the need for crew to re-evaluate their holding speed for a change in altitude (specifically above flight level 200).

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: Air transport
Issue number
Issue Owner
Qantas Airways
Safety issue title
Stall prevention and recovery at high altitudes
Safety Issue Description

The operator provided flight crew with limited training and guidance in stall prevention and recovery techniques at high altitudes or with engine power above idle.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: Air transport
Issue number
Issue Owner
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
Safety issue title
Maintenance response to recurring track defects in areas with a degraded formation
Safety Issue Description

A more stringent maintenance response than that for an isolated track geometry defect was not considered or implemented in accordance with ARTC’s COP. A more stringent maintenance response should have been considered given the degraded formation and the track’s rapid deterioration between 12-14 January 2016, two days prior to the derailment

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Rail
Transport Function
Rail: Infrastructure
Issue number
Issue Owner
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
Safety issue title
Shear key installation
Safety Issue Description

The shear key was not installed in accordance with the geotechnical engineer’s specification with respect to the following:

a) It did not include a cross-drain.

b) Its width was less than the specified width.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Rail
Transport Function
Rail: Infrastructure
Issue number
Issue Owner
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
Safety issue title
Surface drainage in areas with degraded formations
Safety Issue Description

The location did not have adequate surface drainage which likely contributed to formation degradation over time.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Rail
Transport Function
Rail: Infrastructure
Issue number
Issue Owner
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)
Safety issue title
Track defect management
Safety Issue Description

ARTC allowed identified track twist defects to remain in track contrary to network track geometry requirements.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Rail
Transport Function
Rail: Freight
Issue number
Issue Owner
Queensland Rail
Safety issue title
Train driver maintenance of competency assurance
Safety Issue Description

Queensland Rail’s administration of the Maintenance of Competency assessment process provided limited assurance that its Citytrain rail traffic drivers meet relevant competency requirements.

Issue Status
Closed – Adequately addressed
Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Rail
Transport Function
Rail: Passenger - metropolitan
Issue number
Issue Owner
Asia Maritime Pacific
Safety issue title
Inadequate on-board documentation
Safety Issue Description

Guidelines for the provision, care and use of shipboard equipment were not supported by suitable documentation. The only documentation was for mobile scaffolding equipment of different design and not for that in use on the ship.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Marine
Transport Function
Marine: Shipboard operations
Issue number
Issue Owner
Maritime Safety Queensland
Safety issue title
Audit response
Safety Issue Description

The regional harbour master and the pilotage service did not have processes in place to follow up audit findings, to ensure that they were appropriately monitored, actioned and closed out in a timely manner.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Marine
Transport Function
Marine: Shipboard operations
Issue number
Issue Owner
Maritime Safety Queensland and Port of Townsville Limited Pilotage Services
Safety issue title
Tug reduction process
Safety Issue Description

The Port Procedures manual for Townsville allowed shipping agents to request a tug reduction without the knowledge of the ship’s master.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Marine
Transport Function
Marine: Shipboard operations
Issue number
Issue Owner
Port of Townsville Limited Pilotage Services
Safety issue title
Contingency planning
Safety Issue Description

The Port of Townsville Limited Pilotage Services’ Pilotage Service Safety Management System did not have documented guidance on berthing manoeuvres nor any associated contingencies.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Marine
Transport Function
Marine: Shipboard operations
Issue number
Issue Owner
Port of Townsville Limited Pilotage Services
Safety issue title
Risk management
Safety Issue Description

The Port of Townsville Limited Pilotage Service risk management processes were not sufficiently mature nor resilient enough to effectively identify and mitigate risks during pilotage.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Marine
Transport Function
Marine: Shipboard operations
Issue number
Issue Owner
Airservices Australia
Safety issue title
Wake turbulence occurrences at Sydney Airport
Safety Issue Description

Given the parallel runway configuration, there was a disproportionate rate of reported wake turbulence occurrences for aircraft arriving at Sydney Airport compared to other major Australian airports in the years 2012 to 2016. Wake turbulence occurrences at Sydney Airport were found to be primarily associated with three factors:

Issue Status
Closed – Adequately addressed
Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: Air transport
Issue number
Issue Owner
Qube Logistics
Safety issue title
Loading of train
Safety Issue Description

The train was loaded by approximately 10 per cent more than that recorded on the consist, it is probable that the additional mass placed an extra load on the braking system and affected the handling characteristics of the train.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Rail
Transport Function
Rail: Freight
Issue number
Issue Owner
CHC Helicopter Australia
Safety issue title
Policies and procedures for planning IFR and NVIS flights
Safety Issue Description

Although CHC Helicopter Australia’s operations manual stated that emergency medical service flights should be conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR) ‘where practical’, its procedures for night visual flight rules (NVFR) operations using night vision goggles did not clearly state when IFR rather than NVFR should be used.

 

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: Air transport
Issue number
Issue Owner
Go Wild Ballooning Pty Ltd
Safety issue title
Balloon passenger briefing procedures
Safety Issue Description

Although the operator had procedures for conducting a verbal safety briefing prior to flight and had safety briefing cards available, its risk controls did not provide assurance that all passengers would understand the required procedures for emergency landings. More specifically:

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: General aviation
Issue number
Issue Owner
Bureau of Meteorology
Safety issue title
Procedures for uploading balloon forecasts
Safety Issue Description

The Bureau of Meteorology did not have a procedure to ensure that a recording of the local weather forecast for balloon operations in the Melbourne area was correctly uploaded and accessible to balloon pilots.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: General aviation
Issue number
Issue Owner
BHP Billiton
Safety issue title
Rail condition
Safety Issue Description

The general condition of the rail on the west track, in the vicinity of the rail fracture, contributed to relatively frequent failures in that area.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Rail
Transport Function
Rail: Freight
Issue number
Issue Owner
General Electric (GE)
Safety issue title
Lack of inspection method to detect fracture
Safety Issue Description

The engine manufacturer did not have specific inspection procedures in the maintenance documents of the propeller shaft to detect a fatigue crack originating from the dowel pin hole.

Date issue released
Mode of Transport
Aviation
Transport Function
Aviation: Air transport