Sarcs, your post really seems to dig down to part of the root cause of the current issues - Person(s) who are out of their league, don't understand aviation cultures, systems and obligations. When you examine Section 24 of the TSI it does indeed appear that the 'potted one' is 'guilty as charged your honor'. However, we all know that these rules, laws and regulations are written containing loads of 'intent', and can be manipulated to any desired outcome at the whim of a politician or legal spin doctor. However, excluding this fact, it is very poor form that the DAS admits he is not aware of some or all of the requirements of the Act? Dry that one out and you can fertilise the pot plants!
Whether he is lying, or genuine, that isn't for me to judge, but either way it proves that he and his lieutenants are not 'capable to hold these official roles', and the same applies to Beaker.
Karen Casey hits the nail on the head. This malaise is just wrong wrong wrong. Issues of this nature and accidents and deaths date back to the 90's, and nothing ever changes (particularly the same spin doctors hiding in these organisations, who have been ingrained for decades). The comparison between Lockhart and Norfolk is incredible when examined holistically and the farce of blaming 'just the pilots' is removed. We have poor regulatory oversight by way of some very ordinary and lame audits undertaken, in some cases inspectors concerns are ignored, there is poor operational surveillance and there is a culture of regulatory cost cutting over and above safety. Nothing has changed, just go back and look at Seaview. There were regulatory concerns with that operator prior to and leading up to it having its AOC upgrade, then crash..
Some of the disturbing facts are as follows:
Accidents: Between 1975 - 2009, 10 serious accidents. All with fatalities except the Norfolk ditching.
Deaths: Death count from these 10 accidents = 102.
RPT: 4 of these flights were RPT.
Charter: 5 of these flights were Charter.
The Senators are doing a good job thus far. Senator Fawcett has a good grip on flight operations, Senators Heff and Nash are pushing the right buttons and Senator Xenophon, himself a Lawyer, seems to have 'Flyingfiends number'. The Senators are gradually narrowing down FF and ATSBeakers wriggle room (thanks 'K') dramatically.
From my travels nationally and internationally there is some robust discussions in quiet drinking holes and risqué entertainment venues and none of it is trending positively towards the hierarchy at CASA, ATSB and ASA. The Senators should be awarded full plenipotentiary powers to compliment the work they are achieving. These organisations are the furtherest supporters of egalitarianism this country has seen. These 'agent provocateues' have reached the end of their use by date and should be discarded so as to make way for some fresh produce.
This hegemony has to go..
Last edited by my oleo is extended; 18th Feb 2013 at 03:04.
Reason: Final paragraph, using robust vocabulary that should excite Flyingfiend and friends!