Let me give an example of how our system is based in the 1940's - before radar existed.
Imagine a charter flight in a King Air from Broken Hill to Bankstown.
It can't run into any moutains at flight levels in controlled airspace on the en-route section of the flight.
Look what happens on approach to YSBK in the best radar covered airspace in australia.
If still in IMC at WATLE the pilot is instructed by Sydney approach to "leave control area on descent- call Sydney radar 124.55"
We are set up for a classic CFIT as no descent altitude is given by ATC.
Lets say the pilot makes an error and descends too early and is about to hit a ridge in the famous Blue Mountains with peaks to 4000' amsl
Will the radar operator say anything? Unlikely because there is no MSAW enabled in that airspace and ATC would not know if the aircraft was visual and enjoying the view of the mountains as there is no requirement or procedure for the pilot to report when visual.
Flight Safety International states that the two most important mitigators to prevent CFIT accidents are ATC and Radar yet we do not utilse either for IFR approaches at one of the busiest airports in Australia.
But I bet we will within a few days of such an obvious CFIT happening at Bankstown. No extra staff or radar coverage will be required- just a simple change in pilot and ATC calls and the enabling of an already existing MSAW alarm.
But it will probably require at least 6 dead before even the ATSB concrete minds make a recommendation that we actually should use our existing radar to prevent CFIT accidents.
Last edited by Dick Smith; 27th Sep 2008 at 02:04.