http://www.theage.com.au/news/Nation...809390029.html
Plane crash 'could have been avoided'
A plane crash that claimed 15 lives in far north Queensland two years ago would have been averted if the doomed aircraft had been fitted with a vital warning system, an inquest has heard.
The inquest was told the crash would probably not have happened if the aircraft had been fitted with a terrain alerting warning system (TAWS), which was due to become mandatory equipment less than two months later.
Counsel assisting the inquest, Ian Harvey, told the hearing the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) both believed the tragedy would have been averted if the plane had been fitted with the enhanced terrain warning system.
"ATSB and CASA assert that had (the plane) been fitted with a fully-functioning TAWS (terrain alerting warning system), this aircraft accident would not have occurred," Mr Harvey said.
Hmmmm... Is it just me - or is all this reference to "it could have been avoided with TAWS" an attempted diversion?
This list of things which would have avoided this tragedy is a long one - and high on this list is CASA's performance.
Di
