Background At the request of the Malaysian Government, Australia is leading the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. All the available data indicates the aircraft entered the sea close to a long but narrow arc of the southern Indian Ocean. The underwater search is a complex operation that will involve a range of vessels, equipment and expertise to cover 60,000 square kilometres of ocean floor—roughly the size of Tasmania. The intensified underwater search The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is coordinating the continuous underwater search phase for MH370. This is…

The Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin covers a range of the ATSB’s short investigations and highlights valuable safety lessons for pilots, operators and safety managers. Released periodically, the Bulletin provides a summary of the less-complex factual investigation reports conducted by the ATSB. The results, based on information supplied by organisations or individuals involved in the occurrence, detail the facts behind the event, as well as any safety actions undertaken. The Bulletin also highlights important Safety Messages for the broader aviation community, drawing on earlier ATSB…

Background The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is leading the underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. All the available data indicates the aircraft entered the sea close to a long but narrow arc of the southern Indian Ocean. The search is a complex operation that will involve a range of vessels, equipment and expertise to cover 60,000 square kilometres of ocean floor. Bathymetric survey  During the first stage of the search, the ATSB is tasking a Chinese PLA-Navy ship to undertake a bathymetric survey of the 60,000 square kilometre search area. A…

An aircraft’s flight recorders are an invaluable tool for investigators in identifying the factors behind an accident. Recorders usually comprise two individual boxes: the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). Popularly known as  ‘black boxes’, these flight recorders are in fact painted orange to help in their recovery following an accident. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) The CVR would be better named the ‘cockpit audio recorder’ as it provides far more than just the voices of the pilots. In fact, it creates a record of the total audio environment in the…

This report was updated on 23 October 2014 with revised hours flown data used for the calculation of occurrence rates by aircraft type.  Why did we do this research This study has been undertaken in order to further understanding of the nature and impact of fumes and smoke related occurrences in relation to the safety of aircraft operations in Australia and, in doing so, evaluate associated data availability and suitability. This report also addresses recommendations from a 2011 report commissioned by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) by an Expert Panel on Aircraft Air Quality…

The Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin covers a range of the ATSB’s short investigations and highlights valuable safety lessons for pilots, operators and safety managers. Released periodically, the Bulletin provides a summary of the less-complex factual investigation reports conducted by the ATSB. The results, based on information supplied by organisations or individuals involved in the occurrence, detail the facts behind the event, as well as any safety actions undertaken. The Bulletin also highlights important Safety Messages for the broader aviation community, drawing on earlier ATSB…

The Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin covers a range of the ATSB’s short investigations and highlights valuable safety lessons for pilots, operators and safety managers. Released periodically, the Bulletin provides a summary of the less-complex factual investigation reports conducted by the ATSB. The results, based on information supplied by organisations or individuals involved in the occurrence, detail the facts behind the event, as well as any safety actions undertaken. The Bulletin also highlights important Safety Messages for the broader aviation community, drawing on earlier ATSB…

The Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin covers a range of the ATSB’s short investigations and highlights valuable safety lessons for pilots, operators and safety managers. Released periodically, the Bulletin provides a summary of the less-complex factual investigation reports conducted by the ATSB. The results, based on information supplied by organisations or individuals involved in the occurrence, detail the facts behind the event, as well as any safety actions undertaken. The Bulletin also highlights important Safety Messages for the broader aviation community, drawing on earlier ATSB…

The Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin covers a range of the ATSB’s short investigations and highlights valuable safety lessons for pilots, operators and safety managers. Released periodically, the Bulletin provides a summary of the less-complex factual investigation reports conducted by the ATSB. The results, based on information supplied by organisations or individuals involved in the occurrence, detail the facts behind the event, as well as any safety actions undertaken. The Bulletin also highlights important Safety Messages for the broader aviation community, drawing on earlier ATSB…

Why the ATSB did this research Stall warning events have always been an area of interest for airlines and aviation safety investigators as they indicate that an aircraft is operating at the margins of safe flight. As these occurrences are reportable to the ATSB, the ATSB can analyse trends across airlines and Australia. By publishing such analysis, it is hoped that the wider aviation industry will be able to learn from the experience of others. What the ATSB found A review of 245 stall warnings and stall warning system events reported to the ATSB over a 5–year period showed that almost all…