CASA acts on safety report recommendations
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has immediately acted on a range of recommendations contained in several reports into the regulation of Aquatic Air Pty Ltd.
The reports are the result of investigations into CASA's regulatory oversight of Aquatic Air before the crash of a Cessna Float Plane at Berowra Waters near Sydney on 26 July 1998.
The "Skehill" Report makes 11 recommendations after examining the history of CASA's regulation of Aquatic Air from June 1994.
A total of 4 Skehill Report recommendations have already been acted on by CASA and the balance will be addressed by the end of next month.
The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) report into the float plane accident also makes 4 recommendations relating to safety regulation.
CASA is already acting on several of these recommendations and is examining the appropriate responses to the others.
Action has been taken to:
- prevent air operators borrowing another Air Operators Certificate (AOC) when they are suspended or cancelled or before they have been issued with an AOC;
- stop air operators using senior pilots to make up for the inexperience of their chief pilot;
- improve the documentation of decision making in CASA; and
- better document meetings relating to safety compliance or enforcement actions.
By the end of March 1999 CASA will:
- establish a staff training program that will address the AOC issue process and its link to the assessment of the Operations Manual;
- upgrade the documentation requirements for informal conferences between CASA and air operators;
- put in place improved internal procedures for handling informal conferences between CASA and air operators;
- propose a direct communications protocol with the NSW Waterways Authority over the operation of float planes in the Sydney area;
- standardise procedures for handling cancellations and suspensions of AOC, with decisions on reinstatements only to be made at the executive level; and
- formally close off outstanding actions in relation to Aquatic Air.
CASA's Acting Director, Richard Yates, says the range of actions address the key issues arising from the Aquatic Air review.
Mr Yates says it is clear CASA failed to effectively handle all of the Aquatic Air regulatory issues.
"CASA does not seek to hide from the fact that some mistakes were made," Mr Yates says.
"It is clear that some staff failed to make the right decisions at crucial times.
"As a result of this, CASA acted last year to terminate the contract of one employee involved in the regulatory oversight of Aquatic Air.
"Another person involved in the direct decision making process has decided to leave CASA.
"CASA's new management team has made it very clear to all staff in regulatory positions that in future they must face up to their responsibilities and where appropriate take firm decisions.
"CASA has already begun a restructuring process to ensure the right people are placed in the right positions and they are capable of taking difficult decisions when warranted.
"The new Board and Management Team are committed to building a more effective and appropriate regulatory culture amongst CASA staff.
"It should also be noted that the Skehill Report concludes that on the basis of the information provided to them, there was no reason for the CASA Board to intervene in the regulation of Aquatic Air".
In September 1998, the CASA Board Safety Committee considered a Report prepared by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada into the causes of seaplane accidents. As a result, the Chairman of the Safety Committee has asked that seaplane instructors conducting endorsements be targetted as part of a CASA safety promotion campaign and that management look at the licensing aspects of seaplane instructors.
"CASA is taking this important opportunity to learn valuable lessons from these reports so that continuous improvements in safety regulation can be made", Mr Yates said.
Media contact
Peter Gibson
Phone: (02) 6217 1015
Mobile: 0419 296 446
David Rawlins
Phone: (02) 6217 1129
Mobile: 041 747 4150
18 February 1999
Ref: ME9903PR