There were a total of 546 marine occurrences reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau from 2005 to 2010. There were significant decreases in reported occurrences in 2008 and 2010; however, the number of serious incidents remained fairly constant for the duration of the period. The number of accidents has decreased from eight each year from 2005 to 2007 to three each year from 2008 to 2010, which reflects the decrease in fatal accidents and people missing during the second half of the period. Injuries sustained were mainly to one person in each occurrence; however, there were…

This report tables rail safety occurrence data by state and territory between 1 January 2001 and 30 June 2011. Data is adjusted biannually 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 6-monthly reporting period and publication of this data. The data is presented as counts, and normalised using kilometres travelled and number of track kilometres. Data presented in this report conforms to ON-S1: Occurrence Notification Standard 1 (2004) and OC-G1: Occurrence Classification Guideline 1 (…

Since 1984, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the former Bureau of Air Safety Investigation have produced numerous aviation research and education reports. This brochure lists those reports in chronological order and arranged by the broad topic area. All reports are available electronically on the ATSB internet site.

The summary report is a compilation of the information the ATSB has gathered, sourced from individuals or organisations involved in the occurrences, on the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and what safety action may have been taken or identified as a result of the occurrence. In addition, the ATSB may include an ATSB Comment that is a Safety Message directed to the broader aviation community. Report updated on 14 September 2011 to fix a typographical error on page 3 of the Bulletin.

Introduction Weather-related general aviation accidents remain one of the most significant causes for concern in aviation safety; the often-fatal outcomes of these accidents are usually all the more tragic because they are avoidable. In the 5 years 2006–2010, there were 72 occurrences of visual flight rules (VFR) pilots flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) reported to the ATSB. Seven of these resulted in fatal accidents, causing 14 fatalities. That is, about one in ten VFR into IMC events result in a fatal outcome. Flying into IMC can occur in any phase of flight. However, a…

Wirestrikes pose an on-going problem to aerial agricultural operations. There are 180 wirestrike accidents in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) database for the period between 2001 and 2010. Of these, 100 involved agricultural flying. Research by the ATSB has shown that 63 per cent of pilots were aware of the position of the wire before they struck it. This publication describes recent aerial agricultural wirestrike accidents. In all these cases, the aircraft struck a powerline that was known to the pilot. In many of these accidents, the…

Coronial investigations and inquests are different to ATSB safety investigations, with different objectives and evidentiary requirements. It is important that the ATSB works closely with coronial officers and the police as early as possible in an investigation. While ATSB investigations and coronial inquests are separate processes, they share a similar important objective: to prevent a similar death occurring in the future. This page outlines how the ATSB can work in parallel with coronial officers and the police. It also explains the ATSB's legal limitations on releasing evidence from an…

A number of changes have been made to this document since it was first published in May 2011. The number of occurrences reported have remained the same, and only the rates of occurrences per departure or hours flown have changed. See page vi of AR-2011-020 for further details. In 2010, uncontained engine failures occurred on two high-capacity aircraft (a Boeing 747 and an Airbus A380); two air transport aircraft almost collided in non-controlled airspace, coming within 40 metres of each other; and a cockpit window blew out of a Metro aircraft at about 20,000 feet, resulting in a rapid cabin…

Partial engine power loss is when the engine provides less power than commanded by the pilot, but more power than idle thrust. This kind of power loss is more complex than a complete failure, and it can be much harder to stay ahead of the aircraft. The pilot is thrust into a situation where the engine is still providing some power; however, the power may be unreliable, and the reliability may be difficult to assess. As a result, pilots are uncertain about the capabilities of their aircraft, and what their options are-a situation that has led to loss of aircraft control at heights close to the…

General Aviation pilots (particularly agricultural pilots) continue to strike wires, such as powerlines, while flying. Over the past 10 years, there were around 180 wirestrike accidents in Australia. In the majority of these accidents the pilots were aware of the powerlines before they struck them. Minimise your risk The following strategies will help minimise the risk of striking wires while flying: Ensure you are physically and mentally fit to fly. Fatigue can adversely affect short-term memory, reaction time, alertness levels and your focus of attention. Set client expectations so that…