The CASA Briefing
Your monthly CASA update

 Civil Aviation Safety Authority

December 2007

From CEO Bruce Byron

CEO Bruce ByronMany of us who fly privately will take advantage of the holiday season to do what we enjoy most - go flying. In many parts of Australia summer time can be a great time to fly, although the obvious dangers of summer storms, turbulence and the effect of high temperatures on aircraft performance need to be assessed carefully. Those of you who fly in the tropics will also be well versed in the precautions that must be taken. Of course, as with any activity, when we go flying there is a level of risk. A quick look at the statistics shows that the summer months generally have a relatively high number of accidents. In January last year there were 11 general aviation accidents. January 2005 recorded 13 accidents and there were 11 in the same month in 2004. While January is not always the highest month for accidents, it is never-the-less a month where the rate rises.

I certainly don't want to put anyone off going flying by pointing out these figures, but I do want to highlight the need to think carefully about what you are doing. Make sure you assess all the risks, that you understand your capabilities and when in doubt make a conservative judgement. If you don't fly regularly or plan to fly to an unfamiliar area with different conditions, consider the investment of a discussion and flight check with a senior flying instructor. Importantly, you must follow published procedures and not be tempted to take 'short cuts', even though they may have worked in the past. Up until the end of October this year there were 89 general aviation accidents, 8 of those fatal, with 12 people losing their lives. Let us do our best not to add to those figures.

Having struck that sombre note, let me wish everyone a happy Christmas and enjoyable New Year! If you get a chance to fly for pleasure, please have a great time. I look forward to seeing and speaking with as many of you as possible in 2008.

Extra CASA services this Christmas

Normally, all of CASA closes from Christmas day until the first working day in the New Year. That means there are no regulatory services available to the aviation industry - although CASA always provides help where it is genuinely needed. However, this year CASA's Licensing and Registration Centre is open for 'holiday' level services on three days during the normal closure period. This means you will still be able to get assistance with pilot and maintainers licences, medicals, aircraft registrations and aviation security card applications and renewals.

The days these services will be available are Thursday 27, Friday 28 and Monday 31 December. But please remember that you must call the CASA Licensing and Registration Centre directly on 1300 737 032. Bear in mind, there will be a 'holiday' level service, so please limit requests to matters that need to be addressed urgently.

All other CASA offices and services will be closed from Christmas day until 2 January 2008. However, there will be a duty officer on standby to assist with urgent safety matters - just call 131 757 and follow the prompts.

New CASA operations chief

CASA's new deputy CEO Operations, Mick Quinn, has started work. Mick Quinn began his aviation career as a commercial pilot at Bankstown in the early 1980s, and went on to work for Qantas as manager of Air Safety Investigation. Later he joined the Emirates group, becoming senor vice president Safety. This job included being investigator-in-charge of incidents, managing safety audits and operational surveillance, analysing safety data and developing and implementing human factors and risk management programs. Over the last two years Mick Quinn has been the executive director, Rail Safety Regulation, in the NSW Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulation body.

As deputy CEO Operations Mick Quinn is responsible for the Air Transport Operations group and the General Aviation Operations group. These are the two largest front-line work groups within CASA. They conduct the safety oversight of airlines, charter operations, aerial work operations, general aviation operations and maintenance organisations. Currently there are 950 air operators certificates and 740 maintenance and manufacturing organisations with certificates of approval that are subject to CASA approval and oversight.

CASA's operational HQ set to open

CASA's new operational headquarters in Brisbane is about to open for business. Staff from various offices across Brisbane will move into their new building in the first quarter of 2008. The building is located on Airport Drive, at Brisbane aerodrome. The leased building will house the office of CASA's new deputy CEO Operations, Mick Quinn, and the leadership teams of the Air Transport and General Aviation operations groups. This includes the group general managers of both operational groups and their support staff. In addition, staff from the Brisbane Air Transport field office and the Eastern Region General Aviation field office will work out of the new building.

The creation of an operational headquarters for CASA was a key plank of the reforms driven by the CEO Bruce Byron over recent years. Bruce Byron made it clear he wanted CASA staff, including the leaders of the operational groups, in locations as close as possible to the aviation industry. Over the last three years CASA has been abolishing positions in Canberra and creating new positions in field offices, as well as the Brisbane operational headquarters.

New choice in maps and charts

Pilots will have a greater choice in which aeronautical maps and charts they use following a series of approvals by CASA. Under the rules pilots can only use authorised maps and charts and for the last 20-30 years this has limited the choice to those provided by Airservices Australia or Jeppesen. Now, following an extensive safety assessment process, three new companies have been added to the approved map and chart list. They are Swedish company Navtech, Swiss company Lufthansa Systems and Singapore-based Aerostratos. The change came after CASA was approached by the companies seeking formal approval. A CASA officer visited the companies, assessed their processes and safety management and quality systems and reviewed a sample of their products. Each provider was able to demonstrate their products met CASA safety requirements. This offers a greater choice to airlines and pilots and opens up this area of aviation to competition.

We're checking aircraft registration

CASA's new survey of aircraft registration holders began this month. Aircraft registration holders are now being required to confirm their aircraft's registration details every three years. A letter and survey form will be sent to aircraft owners shortly after their third anniversary of being recorded as the registration holder of an aircraft. The purpose of the survey is to make certain that CASA holds accurate registration records. This is essential to ensure that airworthiness directives and other safety-critical information is not overlooked, misdirected or delayed.

The survey will ask registration holders to confirm CASA has the correct aircraft information, including details on aircraft ownership, manufacturer, model and serial number. It will also verify contact details for registration holders and registered operators. Registration holders have 28 days after receiving the survey to respond to CASA and confirm the details are accurate, or to provide the correct data. It is a regulatory requirement for registration holders to reply to the survey. The survey is quick and easy to complete, and can be returned by mail, fax or email

Find out more about the aircraft registration holder survey.

Training syllabuses being updated

CASA has proposed a range of changes to the Day Visual Flight Rules Syllabuses for aeroplanes and helicopters. These syllabuses specify the flying training and aeronautical knowledge requirements for student, private and commercial pilot licences. Three new standards are to be added to the syllabuses to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements. These are: English communication and the aviation environment, single pilot human factors management and threat and error management requirements. The aeroplane syllabus will contain simpler-to-use flight standards, presented in a new format. Achievement records have also been updated. The helicopter syllabus introduces flight standards in competency-based training terms and includes achievement records.

The proposed changes to the Day VFR training syllabuses are available for comment, with CASA planning to publish the final versions early in 2008. This will be Issue 4 of the syllabuses. Read the draft and provide comment.

Have your say on pilot language standards

People in the aviation industry have until 11 January 2008 to have their say on proposed new standards for language proficiency for pilots. CASA has issued a notice of proposed rule making setting out the proposed standards, which are based on International Civil Aviation Organization standards. It is planned to introduce the new requirements from 5 March 2008.

Pilots who hold licences issued before 5 March 2008 will not need to take any action. However, holders of Australian flight crew licenses who fly internationally will need to obtain at least a level four English language proficiency. All flight crew applying for a private pilots licence or above from 5 March 2008 will also need to obtain at least a level four proficiency in English. People applying for a student pilot licence will need to prove their general English proficiency.

Read the details of the notice of proposed rule making and lodge a response.

AOC holders to be surveyed

All holders of air operators certificates are to be sent a questionnaire by CASA early in 2008. Every air operator will be required to fill in the on-line questionnaire and return it to CASA. This is the first of what will become a regular survey of air operators designed to give CASA up-to-date information on aviation activity. The survey will collect data which includes the types of aircraft operated, hours flown, categories of operations and factors that might impact on safety. CASA will use the data to prioritise safety oversight activities, assess risks within the industry and target safety support for industry.

An email will be sent to all air operators linking them to the survey and explaining how to complete the exercise and lodge the questionnaire. On average the survey should take about 20 minutes to complete. Air operators will need ready access to their company's operational records for the period 1 January 2007 - 31 December 2007. The questionnaire asks for the details of each aircraft operated under the AOC during this period. This includes aircraft registration, as well as the hours flown and number of landings for each aircraft for various categories of operation. There will also be questions about maintenance arrangements, numbers of pilots and key personnel.

Find out more about the AOC survey.

Transponders to be upgraded

CASA has established a project to develop an airworthiness directive to overcome safety issues relating to Microair T2000SFL Air Traffic Control Transponders. These transponders, when operated without the revision 7 upgrade, may lock-up, display a 'NO COMM' message and/or generate intermittent replies. This occurs when they are operated in a Mode S Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) environment. The transponder may not respond to aircraft equipped with airborne collision avoidance systems, increasing the possibility of a mid air collision.

Microair Avionics have issued an approved software modification to address the issues, however, most upgrades have been for transponders operating in overseas Mode S radar environments. With the planned introduction of Mode S SSR interrogators at eight Australian airports by Airservices Australia during 2008-09 the number of transponders affected will increase. Transponders may also be affected by the introduction of Wide Area Multilateration surveillance in Tasmania during early 2008.

Find out more about the project.

Cessna SIDs updated

Cessna's supplemental inspection documents and corrosion prevention and control programs have been updated. CASA has released issue 7 of airworthiness bulletin covering the Cessna airframe fatigue initiatives. The latest issue has eight key areas of changes, including the limits of SIDs, more information on who can approve alternative systems of maintenance and additional detail on exemptions. The airworthiness bulletin explains that Cessna SIDs are essential and they are more than inspections. It warns: "A missed crack could eventually break your aircraft. Fatigue has killed thousands, including many Australians".

Read the Cessna SID airworthiness bulletin.

Watch out for grease!

Piston engine aircraft maintainers are being warned to be on the lookout for silicone grease contamination in fuel filters. This could be the cause of a rough running engine. A recent investigation into the cause of a rough running piston engine discovered that the fuel filter was contaminated by a thin film of silicone grease. CASA has issued an airworthiness bulletin recommending all maintenance people involved in the maintenance of piston engine aircraft consider regularly checking the fuel filters for contamination in addition to the normal procedures. If a fuel filter is found to be contaminated, further investigation as to the cause of the contamination is strongly recommended. Any contamination found should be reported to CASA through the service difficulty report system.

Read the airworthiness bulletin about grease.

Cessna spar corrosion

Operators and maintainers of Cessna 172 aircraft are being warned about the possibility of corrosion of the carry through spar. CASA has issued an airworthiness bulletin citing several recent reports of corrosion in this area. It is recommended that Cessna 172 aircraft are inspected at the next convenient time for missing rivets and signs of corrosion in the carry through spar area. If there are missing rivets and delamination this should be thoroughly investigated and any problems should be treated immediately. CASA wants all findings of corrosion to be reported through the service difficulty report system.

Read the Cessna 172 advice.