CASA media release - Tuesday, 8 November 2005
Melbourne’s pilots learn CSI-style how weather kills
Melbourne's pilots will be undertaking special CSI-style training this weekend aimed at avoiding aircraft accidents caused by bad weather.
Every ten days a pilot declares an emergency due to deteriorating weather conditions – and many of these emergencies are fatal.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is tackling this high risk to aviation safety by staging a series of special Crash Scene Investigation (CSI) workshops for private and commercial pilots.
The day-long Melbourne workshop will teach pilots how to avoid weather emergencies, what to do if caught out in worsening weather and how to maximise chances of survival if a crash occurs.
Aviation experts will stage a CSI-style investigation of a real life accident which was caused by deteriorating weather conditions.
In this way Melbourne's pilots will learn practical and powerful lessons from the crash of a Piper Warrior in NSW in 1999, which killed three people.
CASA is hosting the CSI workshop, with experts from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Bureau of Meteorology, Australian Search and Rescue and a prominent aviation medical specialist taking part.
CASA's acting head of safety promotion, David Pattie, says the unique format of the CSI pilot workshops will drive home powerful lessons.
“The whole day is one long whodunit and why,” Mr Pattie says. “Pilots will be unravelling what went wrong and how the fatal accident could have been avoided.
“They will leave with a much stronger understanding of the risks of flying into deteriorating weather conditions while operating under visual flight rules and what they can do to save themselves if they get into trouble.
“CASA's CSI pilot safety workshops will help save lives in Victoria.”
The workshop is being held at Building 149, University of Melbourne, Swanston St, on Saturday 12 November, starting at 10am. There is no charge for attending.
Media contact:
Peter Gibson
mobile 0419 296 446
Ref: MR0554