Old Akro although I agree with your premise on the ILS/WAAS installation lagging behind other developed/developing nations, which is also just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to aviation infrastructure (especially with airports) in this country. But in the YMIA incident would ILS or WAAS made a great deal of difference?? Maybe it would be better if YPAD had a CATIII ILS or the BOM had sufficient resources to be more predictive of localised wx phenomena or...and the list goes on..and on..
However I believe there to be far greater systemic issues related to the YMIA incident(s) (that in the wash-up industry stakeholders will ignore at their peril). It is extremely refreshing to see the ATSB placing some of their limited resources into (hopefully) carrying out a thorough, unbiased, apolitical inquiry into this incident....industry desperately needs our old bureau back!
Ben's sentiments:
Qantas 737 now included in Mildura fog incident inquiry
Ben Sandilands | Jul 02, 2013 2:46PM | EMAIL | PRINT
It isn’t surprising that the ATSB today officially broadened its inquiry into a very low fuel landing by a Virgin Australia 737 at fog bound Mildura airport on 18 June to include a Qantas 737 that made a similar reduced visibility low fuel landing minutes before that incident.
This is shaping up to one of the most important inquiries yet made by the safety investigator, as it involved two mainline jets carrying significant numbers of passengers coming close to a state of fuel exhaustion.
And by coincidence the announcement comes on a prolonged foggy day at Canberra Airport, indicative of what has been a very foggy (and soggy) winter for many Australian airports in the southern parts of the mainland.
