Accidents and serious incidents (commonly called Immediately Reportable Matters), which affect the safety of aircraft must, in the first instance, be notified to the ATSB by telephone (24 hours) 1800 011 034. During business hours you can also call (+61) 2 6230 4470. Accidents and serious incidents are required to be immediately notified to the ATSB in accordance with section 18 of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003. The ATSB collects information for the purposes of enhancing transport safety. The collection…

Applying for a position overseas? If you are applying for a position overseas and the organisation wants a letter of verification of your Flight Crew Licence (FCL), the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) can issue a standard letter reflecting your qualifications including: Australian Flight Crew Licence (Including endorsements; ratings and approvals) Aviation Reference Number (ARN) Current Aviation Medical details including any conditions attached to the Certificate Details of any suspensions / cancellation of my Flight Crew Licence and any actions brought against…

These videos illustrate different aspects of the search for MH370. You may use this material under a creative commons license. That license allows you to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this publication provided that you attribute the work.  

The Seventh Arc Information and analysis of satellite data and drift modelling identified an area set out in the map and labelled as the 7th arc. At the time MH370 reached this arc, the aircraft is considered to have exhausted its fuel and to have been descending. As a result, it was determined that the aircraft was unlikely to be more than 27.5 NM (51 km) to the west or 25 NM (46 km) to the east of the arc. Based on all the independent analysis of satellite communications and aircraft performance, the total extent of the 7th arc reaches from latitude 20 degrees S to 40 degrees S. Click map…

The ATSB is Australia's national transport safety investigator.

These images may be used under a creative commons licence for the work in the following terms: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia Licence is a standard form license agreement that allows you to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this publication provided that you attribute the work. You should attribute the image using the text in each image’s caption.

On 8 March 2014, a Boeing 777 aircraft, operated as Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370), was lost during a flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing in the People’s Republic of China, carrying 12 crew and 227 passengers. Under Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation “Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation”, Malaysia, as the state of registry and operation of MH370, had investigative responsibility for the missing aircraft. At the request of the Malaysian Government, the Australian Government accepted responsibility for initial search and recovery…

At the request of the Malaysian Government, Australia accepted responsibility for the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. After the conclusion of the surface search, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) led the underwater search for MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. Each week, from 10 September 2014 to 11 January 2017, an operational update was published, tracking the progress of the search effort and identifying noteworthy developments. At a meeting of Ministers from Malaysia, Australia and the People’s Republic of China held on 22 July 2016, it was agreed that…

Safety concern The ATSB continues to investigate accidents—many fatal—that involve pilots flying with reduced visual references. Under visual flight rules (VFR), it is crucial that pilots have sufficient visual reference to see and avoid obstacles. Visual cues are also required to maintain orientation so VFR pilots know which way is up and can maintain control of their aircraft. Visual reference can be reduced by cloud, darkness, or atmospheric conditions such as rain, fog, smoke or haze. Two main risks are associated with flying in limited visibility: loss of orientation, leading to loss…