ATSB report concerning first low flying Tiger incident helps explain CASA’s concerns. July 7, 2011 – 3:25 pm, by Ben Sandilands
A preliminary report by the ATSB concerning its inquiry into a Tiger A320 that flew too low on approach to Melbourne Airport on June 7 casts light on why CASA is so concerned about the airline’s safety standards.
The ATSB has discovered that the minimum altitude for that part of the* particular approach to the airport had been incorrectly set at 2000 feet by an approach chart prepared for Tiger’s use by the Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen.
However after being cleared by air traffic control to descend to 2500 feet, the correct safe minimum altitude, this was disregarded by the crew until they were told they were at an incorrect altitude and instructed to return to the altitude they had been authorised to use.
Despite the error in the commercial database, the crew would not have descended the jet to an unsafe altitude if they had obeyed their altitude clearance instructions.
The ATSB is also investigating the June 30 incident, in which another Tiger A320, believed to have flown by the same Captain, conducted a missed approach to Avalon airport, descended to an unsafe altitude while re-approaching the airport, and failed to communicate appropriately with air traffic control.
It was that incident that CASA has identified as causing it to conclude that Tiger Airways was a risk to public safety and suspend its air operator certificate, initially to this Saturday, but which the regulator is now seeking court approval to extend to August 1.
Tiger says it is not opposing the CASA application.
believed to have flown by the same Captain
Now that is interesting! Provided of course, that it turns out to be correct.