Safety issue

Safety issue description

Virgin Australia Airlines/Virgin Australia International did not have a policy requiring crews to independently cross-check environmental information and landing performance calculations in-flight, removing an opportunity to detect crew errors.
Issue number AO-2015-046-SI-03
Issue owner Virgin Australia Airlines/Virgin Australia International
Transport function Aviation: Air transport
Issue status Closed – Adequately addressed
Date issue released 18/09/2018
Issue status justification

The ATSB is satisfied that the amendment to the Virgin Australia Airlines/Virgin
Australia International Volume A1: Operating Policies and Procedures – General
and Boeing 737 Flight Crew Operations Manual will increase the opportunity for
flight crew to detect errors. In particular, this will reduce the potential for inaccurate
in-flight landing performance calculations based on an erroneous interpretation of
weather and terminal information, before they lead to unintended consequences.

Issue finalisation date: 29 June 2022

Safety action

Action type Proactive action
Action number AO-2015-046-NSA-010
Organisation Virgin Australia/Virgin Australia International
Action date 18/09/2018
Action description

Virgin Australia/Virgin Australia International are reviewing cross-checking mechanisms within their existing aircraft performance standard operating procedures. The intention of this is to further strengthen error-detection and monitoring within the in-flight landing performance procedure.
ATSB response

The ATSB notes that Virgin Australia/Virgin Australia International is currently reviewing their
internal policy on cross-checking aircraft performance calculations. The ATSB will monitor the
operator’s progress and assess the safety issue on completion of that review.

Update 24 June 2022

The June 2022 Virgin Australia Airlines/Virgin Australia International Volume A1: Operating
Policies and Procedures – General included a new section on verifying weather and terminal
information. Specifically, the procedure stated that flight crews were to independently review
weather and terminal information during departure and arrival preparations. This review
required each pilot to independently listen or read the source information. The procedure also
included verifying the information recorded on the take-off data card and making changes as
necessary.
In addition to checking the landing performance data prior to the top of descent, the Virgin
Australia Airlines/Virgin Australia International Boeing 737 Flight Crew Operations Manual
descent checklist was amended to include the requirement for both flight crew to also verify
this data.
Action status Closed