Human error is recognised as an important issue in fields as diverse as medicine, mining and shipping, and to some extent aviation. Although the human element has long been recognised as important in the cockpit, its role in aircraft maintenance has been largely overlooked. According to Boeing figures 12% of major aircraft accidents involve maintenance, and 50% of flight delays in the US are caused by maintenance errors. In response to a worldwide lack of information on the issue, in late 1998 the Bureau distributed a safety survey to all licensed aircraft maintenance engineers in Australia.…

Maintenance incidents contribute to a significant proportion of worldwide commercial jet accidents, yet until recently, little was known of the nature of maintenance incidents and the factors which promote them. In face-to-face interviews, maintenance technicians were asked to report examples of maintenance incidents which they had experienced first-hand. Eighty-six incident reports were recorded. Human factors were involved in most of the reported incidents, with workers on duty between the hours of 0200 and 0400 having a greater chance of having an incident than workers on duty at other…

Since 1970 fatalities resulting from accidents between road vehicles and trains at level crossings have reduced by about 70 per cent. However, recently there has been an increasing number of accidents involving heavy road vehicles. Between April 2006 and December 2007 the ATSB investigated 12 level crossing accidents. Of these 12 accidents, nine have involved heavy road vehicles, four of which have been collisions with long distance passenger trains. In addition, during the same period State authorities have investigated a further three significant accidents between heavy vehicles and…

This report provides aviation accident and incident, collectively termed occurrence, data for the period 1 January 1998 to 30 September 2008. This data was provided to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau by 'responsible persons' as defined in the Transport Safety Investigation Regulations 2003, Part 2.5. The data excludes non-VH registered operations in the sport aviation category, and is current as at 30 September 2008. The data will be adjusted quarterly to reflect new information received during the reporting period.

Aircraft depressurisation events are rare, but they can occur with little or no warning. The faster you put on your oxygen mask, the better the chance that you will stay safe and remain capable of helping children and others. Reading this safety bulletin will help ensure that you can recognise and appropriately react to an aircraft depressurisation if one should occur. Why are aircraft pressurised? Modern aircraft are designed to fly at high altitudes. (For example, large jet aircraft normally cruise at an altitude of 28,000 – 35,000 ft). This is because aircraft consume less fuel and can fly…

This report tables rail safety occurrence data by State and Territory between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2008. Data is adjusted biannually to reflect new information that comes to light during the reporting period. There is a lag period of approximately three to four months between the end of the six-monthly reporting period and publication of this data. The data is presented as counts, and normalised using kilometres travelled and number of track kilometres. Please contact individual jurisdictions for media enquiries. Media Contacts: [PDF: 15KB]

This report tables rail safety occurrence data by state and territory between January 2001 and December 2007. Data is adjusted annually to reflect new information that comes to light during the reporting period. There is a lag period of approximately 3 to 4 months between the end of the reporting period and publication of these data. Previous versions of this publication should be discarded. These data are presented as counts and normalised using kilometres travelled and number of track kilometres. Data presented in this report conforms to Standard No. ON-S1: Occurrence Categories and…

With the creation of the ATSB in July 1999, followed by the enactment of the Transport Safety Investigation Act (TSI Act) in 2003, Australia had for the first time a national body with a mandate for professional and independent rail safety investigations. In its relatively short existence, the ATSB's rail safety unit has had a significant influence on rail safety in Australia. In particular, it has been instrumental in fostering an approach that emphasises the importance of system safety, rather than just focusing on the mistakes of operational personnel. Other notable achievements of the…

Each year, 'responsible persons', as defined in the Transport Safety Investigation Regulations 2003, Part 2.5, provide the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) with reports on aviation accidents and incidents, collectively termed occurrences. These reports are used by the ATSB to assist with the independent investigation of occurrences and for identifying safety trends. This report provides aviation occurrence data for the period 1 January 1999 to 30 June 2009. The data contained herein is dynamic and subject to change pending the provision of new information to the ATSB. The data will…

This information bulletin is designed for cabin crew and will supplement your airline's cabin crew emergency procedures manual and should enhance your knowledge about what can occur during an aircraft depressurisation. Why are aircraft pressurised? Modern aircraft are designed to fly at high altitudes. For example, a Boeing 747 aircraft normally cruises at an altitude of 28,000 – 35,000 ft. This is because aircraft consume less fuel and fly in relatively smooth air, avoiding bad weather and turbulence. However, the human body is not designed to survive at such high…