CASA media release - Wednesday 4 April 2007
Better regional aviation safety
A range of initiatives to improve regional airline safety are being implemented by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
CASA’s chief executive officer, Bruce Byron, says the initiatives to improve safety in regional airlines will focus on extra education and training for pilots and airline operators.
“The Civil Aviation Safety Authority will create new training packages that will top-up the current training all regional airline pilots receive,” Mr Byron says.
“The training will cover situational awareness, threat and error management and crew resource management.
“A new Safety Management Toolkit for small airlines will focus on safety risks such as financial pressures, rapid growth and changes to organisational structures. This toolkit will lift the safety performance of small, regional airlines by providing better support in key management and operational areas.”
Mr Byron says CASA has more than doubled the surveillance and oversight of regional airlines over the last two years.
“In 2007 we are doing a better job at surveillance and safety oversight of regional airlines than we did in 2005. In the years ahead we will get even better.
Mr Byron says the improvements had already begun when the tragic Lockhart River accident occurred in May 2005.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau today released a report into the accident.
“The report says the Metroliner’s descent and approach speeds were well above standard procedures, at an average of 249 knots between 10,000 feet and 5000 feet,” Mr Byron says.
“This higher than normal speed gave the pilots less time to configure the aircraft, follow required approach procedures and maintain an awareness of their true position.
“Mistakes may have been made due to confusion about where the aircraft was on the approach path, confusion about their true altitude or attempts to get through the cloud cover.
“I can promise everyone – families and friends of victims, the communities of Far North Queensland and all Australians who fly – that continuing improvements to air safety are being made.”
Lockhart River Approach profile
Transcript: CASA Chief executive officer Bruce Byron addresses Brisbane press conference
Media contact:
Peter Gibson
mobile 0419 296 446
Ref: MR0722