More dodgy statistics from Dick for the gullible Oz public:
We've had mandatory broadcast zones for over 10 years. There has been thousands of incidents where pilots are not on radio in mandatory broadcast zones, including airlines.
From Page 8 of the ATSB Aviation Safety Research Report
"Airspace-Related Occurrences Involving Regular Public Transport and Charter Aircraft within Mandatory Broadcast Zones":
"A search of the OASIS database identified a total of 573 airspace-related occurrences in MBZs during the calendar years 1994 to 2001. For this period, there were no accidents within MBZs where airspace related issues were found to be a contributing factor. All 573 occurrences were classified as being either a Category 4 or Category 5 occurrences.
ATSB did go on to say that due to a level of under-reporting of incidents, the 573 figure should be considered as "conservative" however, if the actual number of incidents was, in fact, double 573 - that still hardly qualifies as "thousands".
Cat 4 occurrences generally are not considered a serious safety deficiency, although they are of interest to investigators for safety trend analysis purposes. Cat 5 occurrences are generally not investigated.
So, on one hand, we have ATSB saying there was only 573 occurences
which had no significant safety impact; while Dick, on the other hand, says we need to get rid of MBZs because of the
"thousands" of unsafe incidents that have occured over the last 10 years! Que?