Fuel exhaustion and fuel starvation accidents continue to be a problem in the Australian aviation industry, accounting for over 6 per cent of all accidents between 1991 and 2000. Within Australia, fuel exhaustion refers to those occurrences where the aircraft has become completely devoid of useable fuel. Fuel starvation refers to those occurrences where the fuel supply to the engine(s) is interrupted, although there is adequate fuel on board the aircraft. The current study investigates the overall rates of, factors contributing to and significance of fuel-related accidents between 1991 and…

Birdstrikes continue to be a problem for aviation worldwide, costing approximately $US3 billion annually. Increasingly, funds are being directed towards research which focuses on bird control and avoidance methods. Two such methods which are proving to be successful, are the use of hand held laser devices to scare birds from the airport environment, and the use of the US developed Avian Hazard Advisory System (AHAS), which allows aircraft to avoid high-risk birdstrike areas. This study investigated the Australian birdstrike data for the period 1991 to 2001. Although limited, the available…

The objectives of this draft report are to: Provide objective, statistical measures of the safety of Australian aviation (excluding sport and military) Provide a document that highlights broad trends and developments that have occurred in aviation safety Provide a document that offers a basis to compare aspects of Australian aviation safety against the safety of aviation in other countries Deliver the above utilising a process that is acceptable to stakeholders. Data concerning aviation activity, the aviation industry and aviation accidents were collected from four main sources. Data are…

Introduction The problem of collisions at railway crossings is an on-going one for rail operators, track providers and regulators and road authorities in Australia. While the number of deaths and injuries is small in comparison to other road casualties and has been reduced considerably in recent years, they are the most serious safety issue faced by the rail system in Australia. The genesis of the present project was at a special meeting of the Australian Transport Council (ATC) on 8 August 2002 that considered the outcome of recent tests of locomotive auxiliary lighting. It was agreed at…

Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118A, Engine s/n 115120 INTRODUCTION Airnorth Regional experienced operational problems with a Pratt and Whitney Canada PW118A engine (engine s/n PC-E 115120). The problems ranged from hung starts resulting in aborted hot starts to vibration (sub-idle vibration) and noise from the high pressure (HP) rotor. These problems occurred over a period of several days. In order to resolve the problems the engine was removed from the aircraft to allow further investigation through disassembly. Disassembly revealed that the bolted joint between the HP turbine disk and…

A seaman was killed and two other seamen were seriously injured when the lifeboat they were in fell 20 metres to the water after the wire falls parted. The limit switches did not operate and the falls parted when the davits came up to their stops with the winch motor running. Another fatality was only prevented by a crewmember's safety helmet. This was one of three similar accidents where lives were put at risk.

Time and again, fatigue has been a major factor in marine incidents and the collision described below is a perfect example of the effects of fatigue. It is a matter of sheer luck that more fishermen have not been killed as a result of fatigue-related accidents.

October Audit Report of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) of Australia (Field work conducted in Canberra, 31 May to 4 June 2004) Executive Summary The ICAO audit team commended the positive and professional approach of the ATSB in proactively seeking the audit. The team was highly satisfied with the legislative and organizational framework established by Australia and the ATSB enabling the conduct of aircraft accident and incident investigations. Nevertheless, the audit focussed on all areas related to accident and incident investigation and found possible areas of improvement.…

When fishing in waters off the Australian coast, fishermen will encounter large trading ships. Unfortunately, sometimes ships and fishing vessels collide. The ATSB has investigated 21 of these collisions since 1990. In two collisions investigated, the skippers of the fishing vessels were trapped in their wheelhouses and drowned when the vessels sank. The investigations have revealed that in almost all the collisions, there were similar factors present which contributed to the accident and precautions had not been taken that may have saved a life or, at least aided the search for survivors.

The purpose of this publication is to provide an overview of level crossing accident fatalities in Australia.