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 contacted the tailboom in flight," Air…

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 passengers. The occupants were…

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 that type of flying. In contrast to…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is inviting owners of flying Amateur-built ABAA and Experimental (ABE) aircraft to participate in a survey. This is the first time in Australia that a constructive effort has been made to gather data on this growing segment of general aviation. ABE aircraft have become an increasingly popular alternative to the purchase of traditional certified aeroplanes. The strong growth in this segment of general aviation deserves greater attention. This survey was developed with the assistance of members of the ABE aircraft community, and we thank them for…

A report released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that a significant factor contributing to a collision involving the Australian recreational craft Chester and the Chinese bulk carrier Hai Teng off Mooloolaba, Queensland, on 19 March 2000, was the absence of a lookout on one vessel and an ineffective lookout on the other. Since 1 July 1999, the ATSB has investigated six collisions involving ships and fishing vessels or small craft. Such collisions keep occurring despite the widespread circulation of ATSB reports and safety bulletins as well as media coverage. The report…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is assisting the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) with the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragic accident involving a Boeing 737-400 on 7 March 2007 at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. As part of this assistance, the ATSB will download and analyse data from both the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) recovered from the aircraft. Depending on the extent of damage, this may involve significant time in transferring data to new black box chassis before download and then analysis. If there…

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 port before taking a starboard list of…

Aircraft Accident - Cirrus SR-22, near M7 Motorway at Cecil Park, NSW on 5 February 2007 The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing panel from an aircraft that crashed last week at Cecil Park in Western Sydney. The Cirrus SR-22 aircraft crashed around 4:30 pm on Monday 5 February, just near the M7 Motorway at Cecil Park, seriously injuring the American pilot and his Australian passenger. Investigators from the ATSB attended the scene and noticed that a panel that should be located on the rear of the aircraft was missing. Yesterday (…

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 engine failed first as a result of a…