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Old 4th Jan 2023, 00:46
  #127 (permalink)  
Clinton McKenzie
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Canberra ACT Australia
Posts: 716
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And yet another tragedy arising from a collision between two aircraft in G. The pilots in command of the aircraft involved were the subject of the same rules of the air and see and avoid obligations as those to which the pilots in command of the aircraft involved in the collision near Gympie were subject.

The rules of the air and see and avoid obligations do not distinguish between aircraft on the basis of whether there happen to be pax on board or not. A moment’s reflection reveals why: The aircraft don’t ‘know’ whether there are pax on board or not, the pilot of one aircraft wouldn’t necessarily know whether there happen to be pax on board another aircraft and, most importantly - a collision is precisely that: A collision to be avoided, no matter who or what is involved.

Either these collisions are “rare” “operational” events from which nothing new can be learnt, or they aren’t.

But exactly why this occurred, the range of visibility from both the pilots, what was happening inside the cabins the time – they’re the things that will help us piece together potentially what may have been a contributing factor here. But it’s still very early stage in the investigation to start speculating.


Indeed, Mr ATSB. And precisely the same durr-obvious statement would be made in the wake of a collision between an RPT aircraft and a ‘light’ aircraft in the vicinity of an aerodrome in G. (Perhaps some investigation into who said what and who heard what on what frequency/ies could highlight a contributing factor, too...)

If ATSB is really concerned about “systemic improvements to transport safety”, ATSB should be investigating all mid-air collisions. ATSB can’t know if there’s a systemic problem which can be improved to the benefit of transport safety if the only mid-air collisions it’s going to investigate are those which coincidentally involve fare paying passengers.
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