The LHR tragedy should never have happened and is attributable to the regulator casa, failing to undertake it's proper surveillance, allowing operations to breach the CAAct and as exposed through time, involve serious cover-ups at high levels within casa and misleading reports by atsb.
We should all [pilots, operators, owners] look at the underlying issues that have been exposed over a period of time.
The most
recent FOI on casa, by Shane Urquhart, which involved an appeal to the Information Commissioner, only gave information in August 2013 [8 1/2 years after the accident].
There is no justice in that and some of the information supports the suppositions and allegations made by Shane and other families [Norris Family], that there was something seriously wrong at the regulator end.
In fact,
legal action is continuing in the US.
The PelAir inquiry showed conclusively that casa had interfered with due process, which was alleged at the time of the
Senate Lockhart River inquiries.
So there is a serious overtone to this, the ninth anniversary of Lockhart River:
- casa is still doing the same things;
- There are serious exposed deficiencies in casa [and atsb] process;
- Australia could be downgraded by ICAO/ FAA;
We don't want another smoking hole, it is up to the Politicians and the ASRR to listen to industry and ensure that proper changes are made and that the regulator is gutted and made properly responsible for it's mistakes.
Where there have been illegal activities or improper process, that these be properly dealt with.
As others have said, too many people have a vested interest in simply ignoring what is going on and advising the Minister that the complainants from the industry "...are just miscreants and complainers...".
This must change.