Transcript 4BC John and Ross 6:50am EST 23/4/04
COMPERE: As you may recall, a little while ago on the program Dick Smith was on with us discussing the changes to air traffic control arrangements in Australia and the opposition thereto from airline pilots and air traffic controllers.
At the time Dick had some, well fairly shall we say, stern things to say about the performance of air traffic controllers and particularly in relation to one incident. Dick joins us on the line now. G'day, Dick.
DICK SMITH: Hi there, Ross, hi there, John. How are things?
CHORUS: Well thank you. Good to talk to you again.
DICK SMITH: Look, what I wanted to do was apologise for the air traffic controllers because I accused them of letting this incident happen between the airline and the plane sort of just near Maroochydore. But the ATSB report, the Australian Transport Safety Board, came out yesterday and it shows clearly that, if the airline pilot had followed the air traffic control instructions and just kept descending, that the planes would have passed many miles apart.
What I just couldn't believe is that a pilot would actually, when he was told to descend by air traffic control, would actually climb and turn right into the path of another aeroplane. And that's what's happened. So it just simply wasn't the air traffic controller's fault. I apologise for that.
I can actually imagine the air traffic controller sitting there just in horror to see this plane turn right into the - the airline turn right into the path of the small plane and then climb without even telling the air traffic controller what he was doing. So that was just horrendous.
COMPERE: Yes, well Dick, good on you. It takes a strong man to say I'm sorry and I got it wrong, which is always the mark of a good man.
DICK SMITH: There's just one thing I could mention and that is that what does worry me is the Australian Transport Safety Board report, instead of saying that the airline pilot shouldn't have done that, the ATSB is sort of a mate's network and it actually says that no one made any error and tried to make out that this is how the air space is to work.
But anyone who's listening I can tell you that you follow air traffic control instructions. There is one time when you're allowed to not take any notice of air traffic control and that is when you get what they call a resolution advisory. It's a special emergency call out in your equipment in the aircraft.
In this particular case, the airline pilot actually acted before he got that, and that's just - I've never heard of such a thing ever happening. I couldn't believe an airline pilot would do that.
COMPERE: All right, Dick, well thank you for that. Are we any closer to a resolution of this? I mean, following your appearance on the program - let me tell you, Dick - we were deluged with very, very, very, very bitter and angry emails.
DICK SMITH: Yes, no look I notice The Australian this morning has an article and the most telling point of the article, it says that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau figures, and what it says here, 'No adverse safety trends since the new system has been imposed.'
Now the Airservices Board, I understand, is voting today on whether to reverse it or not. I hope they won't because look, we've had just on five months and you always get teething problems. In this particular case, this incident north of Brisbane, I think it was a very serious one even though the ATSB have tried to sort of, on the mate's network, tried to say it isn't serious.
I think it was serious but I'm sure it all goes back to training because I don't think these airline pilots have been trained correctly and I think that's very serious. Hopefully if we can do that, it shows that even without the proper training, the system hasn't had any adverse safety effects. And once we get it in working properly, it will be a lot safer and of course less expensive.
COMPERE: All right, Dick, okay. Well look thanks for calling in this morning. We appreciate it.
DICK SMITH: Great to talk to you.
COMPERE: Yeah, good to talk to you too.
COMPERE: Just some angry air traffic controllers after the last…
COMPERE: Oooh yeah. Did you see some of those emails? I thought the paper was going to catch on fire. The debate will continue to rage on and let's hope for the safety of the Australian travelling public that Dick Smith's right. Because, as I said to him the other day, if they get it wrong and there's a disaster, there's going to be a fairly few sets of goolies on the platter, I tell you.
ends