The ATSBs final investigation report into the fatal crash of an R44 Helicopter west of the Gunpowder airstrip in Queensland on 21 February 2006 found that the operation of the helicopter at weights that did not allow for adequate performance in the high temperatures experienced in the area may have contributed to the development of the accident. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report states that the helicopter, with a pilot and three passengers on board was engaged in aerial survey operations between the Mt…

Pilot and media personality Graeme (Shirley) Strachan was fatally injured when he lost control of the helicopter he was flying after it was damaged in severe mountain wave turbulence and crashed on the north-east slope of Mount Archer, Queensland on 29 August 2001. This was the main finding in the final accident report released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. "The extensive damage to the helicopter, severed tailboom and the location of parts on the ground, led transport safety investigators to conclude that the main rotor blade may have…

The ATSB's final aviation investigation report into a fatal fire-bombing accident south of Cootamundra last year found that the pilot lost control of the aircraft during a low altitude turn and that his lack of experience on the modified Dromader turbine-engined aircraft may have been a contributing factor. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau notes that this was only the second fatal accident involving a fixed-wing aircraft engaged in fire-bombing operations in Australia since they commenced in the early 1960s, despite the high risks associated with…

The ATSB has found that a Cessna 208 engine failure and forced landing onto a lake in a remote part of south-western Tasmania last year was due to a previous generator failure, has praised the pilots actions in landing the aircraft and ensuring passenger safety, and has made a number of safety recommendations to prevent a similar failure. The Australian Transport Safety Bureaus final investigation report states that the aircraft, a single engine Cessna 208 floatplane was being operated on a commercial scenic flight over rugged terrain with a pilot and 10…

According to a report issued today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), a shift of a cargo of packaged timber resulted in the Panamanian flag general cargo vessel Sun Breeze experiencing a large list and sending out a 'Mayday' call off the West Australian port of Bunbury on 21 August 1999. Sun Breeze had sailed from Bunbury at 1800 on 21 August with timber loaded underdeck as well as on the deck and hatchtops. The Master had just left the bridge when the vessel, on autopilot, turned to starboard on its own accord. It then appeared to list to…

The ATSB has found that a collision occurred at level crossing near Elizabeth River (NT) on 20 October 2006 because the driver of a road-train truck did not stop at a Stop sign to give way to an approaching freight train. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation established that an adjacent road junction, low train conspicuity and a low expectation of seeing a train probably combined to mistakenly filter the truck drivers attention away from the importance of looking for a train. Consequently he did not see the approaching train, even though it is likely that he looked in that…

A Report released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that the Kuwaiti flag tanker Al Deerah, loaded with cargo, had grounded in the Tamar River, Tasmania on 30 April 2000 due to factors related to the tide and the rate of turn in the river. The effects of starboard rudder used in the turn off Garden Island, combined with differing tidal strengths at the bow and the stern of the vessel and the inability to reduce the rapid rate of turn, were the main factors. The accident happened when the tanker,…

An ATSB investigation has found that fatigue cracking in an XPT axle led to a minor derailment of an XPT passenger service from Melbourne to Sydney on 9 February 2006 at Harden. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation into the derailment concluded that train ST22 derailed as a result of the axle completely fracturing and eventually derailing one wheel. Subsequent examinations by RailCorp, the train operator, led to the discovery of thirteen other XPT power car axles with surface defects, or cracks initiated by surface defects, in highly stressed areas. The ATSBs examination of…

The final report on the Whyalla Airlines Piper Chieftain VH-MZK accident on 31 May 2000, in which all eight occupants died, was released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. ATSB Executive Director, Kym Bills, made the following statement: "The VH-MZK accident occurred after mechanical failures involving both engines forced the pilot to ditch the aircraft in Spencer Gulf, about 26km from Whyalla, on a dark, cloudy and moonless night. Based on careful analysis of the engine failures and recorded radar and audio data, it is likely that the left…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has found that an engine room fire that occurred on board the Antarctic resupply ship LAstrolabe, on 11 November 2006, was the result of a fuel leak on the starboard main engine. On 5 November 2006, the Antarctic supply ship LAstrolabe sailed from the French Antarctic base at Dumont dUrville, bound for Hobart, Tasmania. On 7 November, the engineers discovered that the starboard main engines main fuel pump was leaking. They blanked off the main fuel pump and ran the engine using another fuel pump. At about 0530 on 11 November, while the ship was…