Statistical Publication

This report tables rail safety occurrence data by state and territory between 1 January 2001 and 30 June 2010. 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 (2008). This report excludes tram, light rail and monorail operations.

This report tables rail safety occurrence data by state and territory between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2009. 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 (2008). This report excludes tram and light rail or monorail operations.

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 31 December 2009. The data contained herein is dynamic and subject to change pending the provision of new information to the ATSB. The data will be adjusted biannually to reflect new information received during the reporting
period.

For commercial air transport (high-capacity regular public transport (RPT), low-capacity RPT and charter), although the accident rate had climbed in 2007 and 2008, the number of accidents reduced from 29 (2008) to 11 in 2009. This accident trend was mostly driven by changes in the accident rate for charter operations. Similarly, the number of serious incidents for commercial air transport reduced from 45 (2007 and 2008) to 26 in 2009. There were no fatal air transport accidents in 2009. One significant accident in 2009 involved the tail scrape and runway excursion at take-off of a foreign-registered Airbus A340-500 in Melbourne on 20 March. Charter has an accident rate that is about five times that of low-capacity and high-capacity RPT. Most fatal accidents in commercial air transport are in charter operations, and it has a similar rate of fatal accidents to all general aviation.

For general aviation (aerial work, flying training, and private/business and (VH-registered) sport aviation), accidents and serious incidents have remained generally consistent since 2007. In 2009, there were 126 accidents, including 18 fatal accidents, and 95 serious incidents. Compared with flying training, aerial work has an accident rate per million hours that is two times higher, and private/business has an accident rate that is 2.5 times higher. In terms of fatal accidents per million hours, the fatality rate in aerial work is three times higher than flying training, and private/business is at least six times higher.

This report tables rail safety occurrence data by state and territory between 1 January 2001 and 30 June 2009. 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 (2008). This report excludes tram and light rail or monorail operations.

This report provides Australian aviation accident and incident, collectively termed occurrence, data for the period 1 January 1999 to 31 March 2009. 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 (except for Tables 1 and 2 which shows all occurrences), and is current as at 31 March 2009.

The data will be adjusted quarterly to reflect new information received during the reporting period.

This report has been produced by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) using data supplied by the rail safety regulators in each State and the Northern Territory of Australia since 2001. The ATSB does not collect the data itself and depends entirely on the efforts of the rail safety regulators to provide accurate and reliable information.

Train kilometres

Note: Excludes tram kilometres. Figures for Tasmania are not available.

Passenger train kilometres

Note: Excludes tram kilometres. Figures for Tasmania are not available.

Freight train kilometres

Note: Figures for Tasmania are not available.

Tram kilometres

Train passenger journeys

Note: The railways providing passenger journey figures to the rail safety regulators are currently able to provide only estimates. Figures for Tasmania are not available. Excludes tram passenger journeys.

Tram passenger journeys

Notes

The definitions provided below are selected excerpts from the definitions of terms used by State and NT rail safety regulators in Australia. The definitions have been developed by them, in consultation with the rail industry, as part of their administrative role in providing government oversight of the safety of the rail industry in Australia.

Train kilometres: the number of kilometres travelled by trains, both freight and passenger.

Train: one or more units of rolling stock coupled together, at least one of which is a locomotive or other self-propelled unit that is designed to run on a railway. Both track maintenance machines and trams (streetcars or light rail) are included in this definition. However, in this national report tramway activity is disaggregated from railway activity as a whole since most of the tramway activity in Australia is concentrated in Melbourne, Victoria.

Passenger train kilometres: the number of kilometres travelled by passenger trains (in this national report, excluding trams).

Freight train kilometres: the number of kilometres travelled by freight trains.

Tram kilometres: the number of kilometres travelled by trams.

Train passenger journey: a journey made by a passenger, all or part of which was on a train. A passenger journey is calculated as follows: urban areas - a point-to-point journey irrespective of the number of vehicles or modes used for the trip; non-urban areas - a point-to-point journey but each change of vehicle along the route is counted as a separate journey. In this national report, tram passenger journeys are excluded.

Tram passenger journey: a journey made by a passenger, all or part of which was on a tram. A passenger journey is calculated as follows: urban areas - a point-to-point journey irrespective of the number of vehicles or modes used for the trip.

Railway employees: persons (whether full or part time) who work for or at the direction of a railway organisation, including contractors and volunteers. In this national report, excludes tramway employees.

Tramway employees: persons (whether full or part time) who work for or at the direction of a tramway organisation, including contractors and volunteers.

Additional statistics on Australian railways are available from the Australasian Railway Association (see http://www.ara.net.au(Opens in a new tab/window)).

Disclaimer

The data in this report are supplied to the ATSB by State and NT rail safety regulators. Data quality and national consistency, in particular, thus depend on the efforts of these regulators. The ATSB accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person or corporation resulting from the use of these data.

Hughes 369HS, ZK-HCC Accident near Fox Glacier, New Zealand, 30 November 2003

FACTUAL INFORMATION

On 30 November 2003, a New Zealand registered Hughes 369HS, ZK-HCC, was operating on a standard scenic flight over the Fox Glacier, New Zealand. The intended track was over Fox Glacier, around Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, returning via the Fox Glacier to land at Fox Glacier township.

After a normal climb to 9,500 ft and commencing level forward flight, the pilot noticed the power turbine speed and main rotor speed reduce. The pilot descended to 6,500 ft where power was restored. Several minutes later a second power loss occurred. The pilot then carried out an emergency landing at the base of Fox Glacier. During the emergency landing the helicopter sustained damage to a landing gear skid and rolled onto its side. The pilot and passengers vacated the helicopter with no serious injuries.

A passenger had been photographing the scenic flight using a video camera. Sounds relating to the operation of the main rotor gearbox had been recorded on the video. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) of New Zealand was responsible for investigating this accident and requested assistance from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to analyse the sounds recorded on the video camera. It was requested that the data be presented in tabular and graphical format. The Executive Director of the ATSB approved the request and the examination was conducted in accordance with the Australian Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003.

A copy of the video recorded during the accident flight was forwarded to the ATSB by the TAIC aviation investigator in charge. The video was received at the Bureau on 24 February 2004 and examined by an ATSB recorder specialist. The audio signals were downloaded and analysed using the Bureau's audio software and graphical and tabular presentations of the data were prepared.

Information relating to the operation of the helicopter's main rotor system was provided to the TAIC investigator in charge for consideration in preparing their report.

A copy of the TAIC investigation report (03-007) may be found at: www.taic.org.nz(Opens in a new tab/window) or by contacting the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, PO Box 10-323, Wellington, New Zealand.

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 Definitions. This report excludes tram and light rail or monorail operations.

On 2 June 2008, the ATSB was notified by the South Australian Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure that the data originally published in May 2008 for South Australian running line collision with road vehicle incidents prior to 2005 included collisions with trams while running on roadways. These incidents have been removed from Table 13 in this amended version of the report.

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.

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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.