Safe flight depends on reliable power. Despite the money and effort spent on ensuring aircraft engines are reliable, equally reliable systems are needed to ensure that engines always get the fuel they need. This report discusses procedures that pilots can use before and during a flight to help them be absolutely sure they will have sufficient fuel to land at their destination aerodrome with reserve fuel intact. It does not discuss procedures to ensure fuel quality, such as checking all fuel drain valves for contaminants or using approved fuel, although these remain…

Review by the Chief Commissioner This Annual Report covers the second year of operation of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) as an independent statutory agency. It has been a year of consolidation in how we conduct transport safety investigations, matched by expansion in our safety research, analysis and education functions. In both areas we have increased our capacity to bring about improvements in transport safety. A key element of consolidation is our progressive clearing of what was becoming a backlog of incomplete larger investigations. This was most noticeable in aviation,…

The first persons arriving at a railway accident site can render valuable assistance to minimise injury and loss of life, reduce property loss through damage, and prevent loss of clues and evidence that can identify the factors that contributed to the accident. Often police and emergency services and representatives of the railway network owner and/or railway operator are the first trained personnel to arrive at railway accident sites. In addition, supervisory officers coordinate response and recovery from locations off-site. these guidelines have been prepared by the ATSB to assist these…

The ATSB often receives reports from pilots that another aircraft is flying too close to them in uncontrolled airspace. Not surprisingly, three quarters of these reports involve aircraft within 10 NM from a non-towered aerodrome. It is difficult for pilots to spot another aircraft through visual observations alone. There are twice as many near-collision notifications where pilots had no prior warning of other aircraft in their vicinity, compared with situations when a pilot received an alert by radio, or via traffic avoidance system like TCAS. Supplementing your visual lookout with radio and…

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…

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.

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 review of agricultural aviation accidents reported to BASI in the period 1985 to 1992 indicates: there were no significant reductions in the number or rate of accidents there were higher accident and fatal accident rates than for other GA operations the majority of accidents occurred in the agricultural work phase of flight, although the taxi and take-off phase accounted for a significant percentage of accidents factors related to pilot perception and operational decision were most frequent accident prevention programs should address: - failure to see and avoid objects or obstacles…

In 1995 the Bureau published a survey of agricultural aviation accidents 1985-1992, which has now been updated by including accident and incident data for the period 1993-1995. The data shows that agricultural aviation accidents accounted for 12% of all Australian aviation accidents during the 10-year period 1986-1995 and that the accident rate continues to be higher than that for other sectors of general aviation. The majority of accidents occur in the agricultural work phase, whereas with other types of commercial operations most accidents occur in the take-off and landing phases. The…

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.