At approximately 1745 hrs on 26 September 2002, a single-engine Piper Cherokee Six aircraft, with 6 people on board crashed and caught fire shortly after take-off from Hamilton Island. All occupants were fatally injured. A team of Transport Safety Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is expected to arrive at the scene of the accident sometime during the afternoon today to commence an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragedy. The investigator-in-charge (IIC) of this accident is expected to give a media briefing from the accident site at 1500 hrs…

The ATSB today released its interim report on the fatal accident involving a Piper PA-28-161 aircraft and a Socata TB-9 aircraft near Bankstown Aerodrome on 5 May 2002. Four people died in the accident, which occurred when the Piper (call sign VH-IBK) and Socata aircraft (call sign VH-JTV) collided about 2km ESE of the aerodrome, while on final approach to the runway. The Piper aircraft had departed Wagga Wagga at about 1.34pm that day on a private flight to Bankstown, with a private licensed pilot and three passengers on board. The Socata aircraft, with a flight instructor and student pilot…

On 18 November 2001, a ballast tank of the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier Nego Kim exploded killing eight crew members. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has found that the explosion occurred when volatile paint fumes inside the inadequately ventilated tank were ignited. The ATSB released the results of its investigation today. The report states: The explosion occurred at 4.40pm on Sunday 18 November 2001, when the ship was anchored inside Dampier port limits waiting to load a cargo of scrap metal. Prior to the explosion, eight crew members had spent two hours…

Air Safety Investigation Report 200100348 Fact Sheet

At 3.30pm today, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will release its final investigation report on the fatal aircraft crash near Newman, WA. On 26 January 2001, a Cessna 310R operated by the Western Australian Police Air Support Unit crashed at night near Newman aerodrome. The four occupants sustained fatal injuries. Impact forces destroyed the aircraft. Who: ALAN STRAY (ATSB Deputy Director of Air Safety Investigation)When: 3.30pm (Eastern Standard Time)Where: ATSB Headquarters, 15 Mort Street, Canberra The report, titled Air Safety Investigation Report 200100348, will be available…

ATTENTION: Editors/Chief of Staff, Aviation/transport writers The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will be conducting a Media conference to discuss aspects of the Coroner's findings of the inquest into the Beech Super King Air aircraft which crashed 65km SE of Burketown on 5 September 2000 with eight fatalities. The conference will be held at 4 PM TODAY, Thursday 12 September. When: 4 pm. Please arrive in the foyer no later than 3.45pm as we need to escort you to our conference roomWhere: The Australian Transport Safety Bureau at 15 Mort Street, Canberra City.

A report released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has found that limited visibility in heavy rain was a significant factor in a collision involving the Australian fishing vessel Chinderah Star and the Liberian flag bulk carrier Silver Bin. The collision occurred at 1209 local time on 25 March 2000, 0.6 nautical miles west of Chapman Island in the inner route of Queensland's Great Barrier Reef. Approximately 24 minutes before the collision, Chinderah Star was heading north when its skipper identified Silver Bin, 8.6 nautical miles to the north and heading south. The…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will release its final report into the systemic factors behind the groundings of Ansett B767 aircraft, tomorrow. Several of Ansett's B767 aircraft were grounded in December 2000 and again in April 2001. While Ansett has ceased flying, the ATSB continued its investigation because of the importance of the issues involved for the safety of 'Class A' aircraft around the world. Executive Director Kym Bills will speak to the media at 10.30am tomorrow, at the ATSB headquarters at 15 Mort St, Braddon. Who: ATSB Executive Director Kym Bills.When: 10.30am,…

The final report into the investigation of the grounding of the Wyuna in the Tamar River, Tasmania on 19 October 2000, has concluded that crew fatigue may have been a contributing factor. The report was released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The Australian training vessel had grounded on Shear Rock after the master gave a series of incorrect course orders to a student under training. The vessel was carried northward by the tide and grounded again on Middle Bank before the master was able to manoeuvre the vessel into the channel. There were no injuries and no pollution of…

The final report on the Beech Super King Air 200 VH-SKC accident, in which all eight occupants died when a charter flight from Perth on 4 September 2000 overflew Leonora and then the NT before crashing near Burketown QLD, was released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. ATSB Executive Director, Kym Bills, made the following statement: "Based on the available evidence, including voice analysis of air traffic control tapes, the investigation concluded that the pilot and passengers were probably incapacitated as a result of hypobaric (altitude) hypoxia due to the…