Thank you Brian Abraham. CASA most certainly could have acted a lot earlier to put some sort of control on this operation. Three years before this ditching, when OzJet had a RPT service to NLK, one of their inspectors directed that the company's B737 aircraft could not DEPART from NLK unless the weather was at or above alternate minima, and forecast to remain so for 60 minutes from ATD. An inter or tempo within that time frame had to be considered as well. So we often had the ludicrous situation where we could land legally but not depart. When challenged that this was a restriction over and above both the Australian rules and ICAO standards, the answer was basically "stiff sh!t you will do what we direct". It cost that company hugely as there were numerous occasions when the weather hovered just below alternate minima but adequately above minima for a return to land in an emergency. Aircraft were stuck there for days on end while other operators came and went without restriction.
So for the Skull to now be hiding behind the regulations as they existed at the time is hypocritical to say the least.
Regardless of regulations in force, CASA can impose additional limitations on almost anything they choose if it is in the name of "safety".
Last edited by Mach E Avelli; 4th Sep 2012 at 20:44.