The ATSB has found that the submarine ethane gas pipeline rupture in Port Phillip on 13 December 2008 was the result of attempting to clear the container ship APL Sydney's anchor, which had snagged the pipeline. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found the ship's anchor had been let go too close to the pipeline in the gale force winds and insufficient anchor cable was deployed. The anchor dragged towards the pipeline and snagged it because appropriate avoiding action was not taken. At 1428 on 13 December, APL Sydney's anchor was let go in Melbourne's Outer Anchorage, about 1…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the 3 April grounding of the Chinese flagged bulk carrier Shen Neng 1 at Douglas Shoal off the Queensland coast. Shen Neng 1 was bound for China before grounding on the reef around 36 nautical miles east of Great Keppel Island. The ship has sustained damage to a number of its water ballast and fuel tanks. The ATSB sent three marine investigators to Gladstone, Queensland on Sunday to begin the onsite phase of the investigation. The investigators have already interviewed people ashore and collected evidence. They will board the ship…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) held a media briefing near Dorrigo, NSW on the ATSB's investigation into the Bell 206 helicopter accident on 9 December 2009. Senior Investigator Chuck Davies told the media that the investigation would seek to identify what factors may have contributed to the accident. The ATSB is also investigating two other incidents involving helicopter operations in support of firefighting efforts, that occurred near Bathurst and Tamworth this week. The ATSB has dispatched a team of five investigators to Dorrigo. The team arrived on site early on 10 December…

On Friday, 18 December 2009, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will be holding a media conference to accompany the release of its interim factual report into the tail strike involving Airbus A340-500 aircraft, registered A6-ERG, during take-off at Melbourne Airport, Vic. on the evening of 20 March 2009. Mr Martin Dolan, Chief Commissioner of the Bureau, and Mr Ian Sangston, Director of Aviation Safety Investigations will discuss the report. Mr Dolan and Mr Sangston will also review the investigation…

A bulletin released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) today reveals that unauthorised and unnecessary low-level flying has contributed to the deaths of at least 12 people during the past 10 years. The bulletin, the first in the series of the ATSB's avoidable accidents publications, presents case studies on the dangers of flying low. It also focuses on the key safety lessons learnt from each of these cases. The ATSB's Director of Safety Data, Research and Technical, Mr Julian Walsh, said the bulletin aims to educate the flying community and general public about the inherent…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is releasing its Preliminary Factual Report into the ditching that occurred 6 km to the west of Norfolk Island on the evening of 18 November 2009 and involved Israel Aircraft Industries Westwind 1124A aircraft, registered VH-NGA. The six occupants evacuated the aircraft as it sank, and were later recovered by a rescue vessel from Norfolk Island. While the ATSB has yet to establish all the factors relevant to this occurrence, it nevertheless highlights the risks in…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is releasing its Interim Factual report into the tailstrike involving Airbus A340-500 aircraft, registered A6-ERG, during takeoff at Melbourne Airport, Vic. on the evening of 20 March 2009. The aircraft was being operated on a scheduled passenger flight from Melbourne to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. This report builds on the facts advised in the report that was released on 30 April 2009 (ISBN 978-1-921602-43-6, available at…

The investigation of an in-flight breakup that occurred near Clombinane, Victoria on 31 July 2007 has found that it most likely resulted from an encounter with localised and intense turbulence, from an elevator control input, or from a combination of both. The accident resulted in the death of the pilot and passenger on board the Rockwell International Aero Commander 500-S aircraft on a business flight from Essendon Airport to Shepparton. As a result of its investigation, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reissued the publication Mountain Wave Turbulence (available for download at www.…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its preliminary investigation report into the collision between the bulk carrier Silver Yang and the yacht, Ella's Pink Lady. The report contains factual information gathered to date, as part of the investigation process. ATSB investigators last met with the skipper of Ella's Pink Lady on 9 October 2009, prior to her departure on her round-the-world voyage. The ATSB investigation is ongoing and will focus on several specific areas including: the electronic…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is continuing its rigorous and comprehensive examination of the circumstances surrounding the failure of an oxygen cylinder that led to the depressurisation of a Boeing 747 on a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne in July last year. The ATSB's second interim factual report on this accident, released today, indicates that to date there is no evidence of systemic safety problems with oxygen bottles of the type involved in the accident. Various tests have not been able to replicate the cylinder failure that initiated the…