Kharon:
Anyone know if the ATSB have broken cover yet on this event? they are overdue.
According to the ATSB investigation number
AO-2014-032 page, the Prelim report is still outstanding but the bureau still stand by their intention of putting out a final report within several months. Which would be a world record for the bureau on what is obviously a complex and very sensitive investigation:
Summary
The ATSB has commenced an investigation into an ATR72, VH-FVR near Sydney NSW on 20 February 2014.
During cruise, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence resulting in a cabin crew member receiving a serious injury.
As part of the investigation, the ATSB will interview the aircraft crew and operator.
A report will be released within several months.
The stated good intentions of the ATSB in investigating these two, apparently related, accidents (ATSB classification) is all well and good but are they in fact contravening their obligations under Annex 13 paragraph 7.4...
Dispatch
7.4 The Preliminary Report shall be sent by facsimile, e-mail, or airmail within thirty days of the date of the accident unless the Accident/Incident Data Report has been sent by that time. When matters directly affecting safety are involved, it shall be sent as soon as the information is available and by the most suitable and quickest means available.
Or is it ICAO that are sitting on the Preliminary report?? If so the ATSB (much like the Malaysians have done) should have made a media statement stating the reason for the delay so that all interested parties are kept informed. To do nothing only further adds to the distrust the industry has with the bureau after the findings of the Senate PelAir inquiry.
Perhaps the importance of the issuance of the Prelim report is perfectly highlighted by the speculation, Chinese whispers, conspiracy theories etc already displayed in this thread. If we had the prelim report we would all be able to see where the investigation is being 'scoped' and where the good investigators on the coalface are indeed looking for the answers to how an apparently certified and proven HCRPT turbo-prop could be so critically bent that it may end up being written off. To not have any facts revealed so far does the worldwide aviation industry (& travelling public) a huge disservice and does nothing to enhance, the already dodgy, credibility of the ATSB...
Q/ Not to discredit the professional investigators at the bureau (I truly believe they are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities and resources available to them) but is the middle to executive management in total disarray since the PelAir debacle has been publicly revealed??
Example:Yesterday I went to the ATSB website and noticed that the weekly summaries link had been deleted and in its place was this:
ATSB National Aviation Occurrence Database This probably explains why the weekly summary lists were nearly 2 months behind...
Maybe this bureau initiative will end up being extremely useful but at the moment it appears to be yet another barrier to accessing any useful safety information derived from the many, responsibly notified, incidents/accidents...
What is more staggering is that this change to accessing the ATSB database was totally un-notified or adequately explained...
Err..WTF is going on at the ATSB??
