Safety issue

Safety issue description

Coulson Aviation did not include a windshear recovery procedure or scenario in their C‑130 Airplane Flight Manual and annual simulator training respectively, to ensure that crews consistently and correctly responded to a windshear encounter with minimal delay.
Issue number AO-2020-007-SI-06
Issue owner Coulson Aviation
Transport function Aviation: General aviation
Issue status Closed – Adequately addressed
Date issue released 29/08/2022
Issue status justification

The ATSB notes the incorporation of the windshear recovery procedure, including consideration of load jettison, into the C-130H Airplane Flight Manual, and the commitment to undertake recurrent simulator‑based windshear training. The ATSB is satisfied that the dedicated windshear procedure and training combined will ensure crews have a shared mental model of the symptoms and recovery actions for a windshear encounter.   

Safety action

Action type Proactive action
Action number AO-2020-007-PSA-58
Organisation Coulson Aviation
Action date 03/08/2022
Action description

On 10 July 2022, Coulson Aviation advised the ATSB that they had ‘published revised [airplane flight] manuals for both variants of the C-130H it operates based on a US Air Force Flight Manual…to bring the two manuals as much into alignment with each other as possible’. As such, the C-130H manuals now include the Lockheed Martin recommended windshear recovery procedure, while also incorporating consideration of jettisoning the load (emergency dump).

On 3 August 2022, Coulson Aviation further advised that:

Simulator-based windshear recurrent training will take place over the coming 12 months. The C-130 crews attend the simulator as a group in the weeks leading up to the in-aircraft Spring Training in California. The specifics of the exercise conducted will be informed by the performance modelling of the simulator, however it will include identification of windshear and recovery in accordance with flight crew operating manual procedures. Boeing 737 flight crew will complete a windshear training package as part of their annual simulator training which occurs at various times during the year.
Action status Closed