I passed the following email onto my local TD (MP, member of house of representatives):
I refer to a report that was recently published by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) regarding a a serious incident in Dublin.
I am gravely concerned that the air accident investigation into this incident was flawed and that a critical element of the investigation was omitted. The details of this report can be found at the following location:
http://aaiu.ie/AAIUviewitem.asp?id=1...g=ENG&loc=1652.
I contacted the air accident investigator assigned to this case to query this omission and his initial response was inadequate. I queried this again (with more detail) and he then declined to respond to my queries. I have since tried to contact the chief investigator at the AAIU and then the Irish Aviation authority to try to progress this and have not heard back from either.
I believe that failure to address this omission (Enhanced GPWS - obstacle mode activation / data base availability for Ireland) in the investigation and subsequent report means that the EASA do not have the visibility of the issue and cannot make recommendations to ensure that the issue is addressed. This could result in disasterous accident in Irish airspace, in the future.
I am not a crank and this is a very real issue. The fact the AAIU are not interested in responding to inconvenient but very real issues, is also of great concern to me.
I hope you can forward this email to the appropriate person, who is responsible for oversight of the AAIU.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
XXX
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In fairness to my TD (Finian McGrath, Indipendant), he did raise a question in the Dail (Parilament/House of Representatives) about this and forwarded on the response from the department of Transport. The main elements of the response are below:
"The investigation of the Serious Incident was conducted in accordance with the Annex 13 provisions to the convention on International Civil Aviation and Incident Investigation...."
( The following is taken from the AAIU website in relation to Annex 13 provisions:
"The Air Accident Investigation Unit conducts its investigations of aviation accidents and incidents in accordance with Annex 13 to the International Civil Aviation Organisation Convention, European Union Council Directive 94/56/EC, and Statutory Instrument No. 205 of 1997. The fundamental purpose of such investigations is to determine the circumstances and causes of these events, with a view to the preservation of life and the avoidance of similar occurrences in the future. It is not the purpose of such investigations to apportion blame or liability.")
".... Consequently, the AAIU is satisfied that all signifcant factors relating to the occurence were addressed in the Report. Ther warning system referred to by the Deputy's correspondence was in fact considered by the investigation and was not a factor in the occurence. I am advised that the AAIU responded to the corrrespondent within 24 hours of his initial query and will respond further to him in writing when required information becomes available."
OH MY ACHING ARSE!!! The amount of time and effort I have put into this Wild Goose chase at this stage is amazing. I have 2 kids under three and have hardly got the energy left when the day is done to shag my wife - and I'm bering given the run around like this! I cannot believe that the department of Transport's role of oversight for the AAIU (when a relevant/coherant point is raised with them offically) comes down to them being satisfied that the AAIU is satisfied! Oversight my sphincter!
In relation to the last point raised in the response to the Dail question, I provided my address to the AAIU (specificaly Leo Murray in person, over a month ago (at his request - this was the last contact I had with him, despite several emails and telephone calls since) and have recieved no feedback since.
I am convinced that the AAIU is covering up an incomplete investigation and that this is an ominous sign for air safety in Ireland. The response from the department of Transport is even more vacuous and disturbing.
I will try to progress this, but it seems that this endevour is doomed - I'm running out of options.
I'll try to keep up the pressure and keep you posted.