From Sydney Morning Herald;
Australia's aviation safety regulator has lessons to learn after the release of a report on a fatal plane crash, federal Transport Minister Mark Vaile says.
Fifteen people died when the TransAir-operated Fairchild Metroliner plane crashed into a mountain near Lockhart River in far north Queensland in May 2005.
Pilot error and poor maintenance were at the core of the crash, one of Australia's worst aviation accidents, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in the report.
Mr Vaile said he had written to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) chief executive Bruce Byron asking that he make a detailed assessment of the implications of the report for future safety regulation, and reply with what action the organisation would take on the findings.
He said from his reading of the report, it was recommending that CASA pay more attention to regional airline operators and give greater emphasis to surveillance of them.
"Somebody buying a ticket to fly on a commercial airline in Australia is entitled to the expectation that the airline is safe to travel with and has the certification of the safety regulator," Mr Vaile told reporters.
"As far as I'm concerned, CASA needs to do whatever is necessary to fulfil that obligation."
Mr Vaile said the recommendations in the report focused particularly on surveillance of the training and standards of pilots.
He said the laying of any criminal charges would be a matter for a coronial inquiry to be held in Queensland, while any disciplinary action at CASA was an internal matter for that organisation.
"I do expect that CASA responds appropriately to those recommendations with any changes that are necessary," Mr Vaile said.
"We as a government are going to make sure that there is no limitation in terms of resourcing that may be needed to provide the appropriate levels of surveillance, if there is resourcing needed it will be provided."
He said while it had been almost two years since the crash, there had not been a delay in the report, saying it required extensive investigation and research.
Mr Vaile also announced that an industry taskforce had been established to assist him and Mr Byron in undertaking aviation regulatory reform.
The taskforce will be chaired by Dr Allan Hawke, a former secretary of the Department of Transport and Regional Services, and will include former CASA chairman Dick Smith, Brindabella Airline's Jeff Boyd and aviation industry consultant Rob Graham.
"We need to expedite the regulatory reform program to ensure we have up-to-date, effective safety regulatory and management systems in place," Mr Vaile said.
The taskforce would work with the aviation industry and provide advice on the best model for safety regulation in Australia.
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