The level crossing is longer than necessary. Shortening it would reduce the amount of time that a vehicle spends within the crossing and improve the visual information available to motorists when assessing their ability to clear the crossing.
Once within the level crossing there are no readily visible cues (like short range lights) to alert a driver that the level crossing protection system is operating.
The Tiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd documentation and training package relating to the Avalon airspace structure and night visual approach guidance contained incorrect material and omissions that increased the risk of confusion and misunderstanding by flight crews.
There was no documented procedure for assuring the separation of aircraft departing from Sydney with parachute operations at Richmond, increasing the likelihood that Sydney Terminal Control Unit controllers would have differing expectations as to their control and coordination requirements in respect of these operations.
Local and national air traffic control procedures did not prescribe the means for controllers to indicate in the air traffic control system that a parachute drop clearance had been issued.
In the past 25 years the ATSB and its predecessor have investigated 39 collisions between trading ships and smaller vessels on the Australian coast. These investigations have all concluded that there was a failure of the watchkeepers on board one or both vessels to keep a proper lookout and that there was an absence of early and appropriate action to avoid the collision.
Aerial work and private flights were permitted under the visual flight rules in dark night conditions, which are effectively the same as instrument meteorological conditions, but without sufficient requirements for proficiency checks and recent experience to enable flight solely by reference to the flight instruments.
Pacific National Bulk Rail does not provide coach/tutor drivers with sufficient training and direction as to how to perform their role.
Pacific National Bulk Rail division did not provide training on fatigue management to the driver.
Pacific National’s SPAD strategy focuses on individual crew actions and the costs of SPADs, rather than developing integrated error tolerant systems of work with regard for the broader systemic issues known to contribute to SPAD events.
Pacific National's fatigue management system is over-reliant on the use of a bio-mathematical model to predict individual fatigue risk, being based principally on rostered work hours without due consideration to higher level fatigue risk management strategies.
Aerial work and private flights were permitted under the visual flight rules in dark night conditions, which are effectively the same as instrument meteorological conditions, but without sufficient requirements for proficiency checks and recent experience to enable flight solely by reference to the flight instruments.
Helicopter flights were permitted under the visual flight rules in dark night conditions, which are effectively the same as instrument meteorological conditions, but without the same requirements for autopilots and similar systems that are in place for conducting flights under the instrument flight rules.
Although some of the operator’s risk controls for the conduct of night visual flight rules flights were in excess of the regulatory requirements, the operator did not effectively manage the risk associated with operations in dark night conditions.
The aircraft landing area did not have clearly defined threshold markings making the mown undershoot area difficult to distinguish from the airstrip.
The powerlines were not marked with high visibility devices, nor were they required to be so marked by the relevant Australian Standard. This reduced the likelihood of a pilot detecting the position of the wires.
For approaches other than the one taken by this motor vehicle driver, this level crossing did not meet the requirements of Australian Standard AS1742.7-2007, Manual of uniform traffic control devices, Part 7: Railway crossings.
A review of the signage requirements for compliance with Australian Standard AS1742.7-2007, Manual of uniform traffic control devices, Part 7: Railway crossings indicated that the Stop Sign Ahead (W3-1) was missing on the northern side of the Brown Street level crossing.
The Ayers Corporation S2R-G10 Thrush aircraft type had a published maximum take-off weight that was not practical for agricultural use, increasing the risk that pilots would operate the aircraft above the published maximum weight and potentially at unsafe weights.
Although the air traffic services provider has been working on the issue for several years, there was still no automated air traffic conflict detection system available for conflictions involving aircraft that were not subject to radar or ADS-B surveillance services.
