Media statements

With the Holiday season upon us, the Australian Transport Safety
Bureau (ATSB) has encouraged air travellers to keep their seat
belts fastened at all possible times.

On Monday 19 December 2011, the Australian Transport Safety
Bureau (ATSB) will hold a media briefing to accompany the release
of its final investigation report into the 7 October 2008 in-flight
upset of an Airbus A330-303 that occurred 154 km west of Learmonth,
WA.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released its 2010-11
Annual Report.

Robinson R22 helicopter pilots are being cautioned of a drive
belt risk following a fatal accident in north-west Queensland.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will conduct an
independent systemic investigation into operations on the
interstate rail line between Sydney and Melbourne in response to a
request from the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon
Anthony Albanese MP.

ATSB investigations have resulted in many improvements to
transport safety, according to a new research report, although
problems with the procedures used to manage safety risk continue to
be the most common issue in all three modes of transport

The latest news on transport safety investigations is now
available from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Twitter
account: @ATSBinfo

The lessons from tragic accidents following flight into cloud or
poor visibility are often ignored or forgotten, according to the
ATSB. Some pilots who are only qualified to fly when visibility is
good (visual flight) remain exposed to significant risk of a fatal

The ATSB's successful retrieval of flight data from a badly
damaged aircraft has been described as a 'breakthrough' by Royal
New Zealand Air Force authorities.

Pilots of single-engine aircraft are at greater risk of having
an accident following a partial engine power loss than they are of
a full engine failure, according to the ATSB.