Well finally the ATsB interim report into the ill-fated ATR72, VH-FVR has been released:
AO-2014-032
From report...
"...Subsequent to the occurrence on 20 February, the aircraft was operated on 13 sectors, the last of which was a scheduled passenger flight from Sydney to Albury, NSW on 25 February 2014. On descent into Albury the aircraft passed in close proximity to birds, which alerted the captain to the possibility of a birdstrike. There were no indications that a bird had struck the aircraft but on the ground, the aircraft’s pitch trim system fluctuated abnormally.
The captain conducted a walk-around inspection with an expectation of bird damage to the left side of the aircraft. The only abnormality found was a deformity to a fairing at the top leading edge of the vertical stabiliser, which might have been the result of a birdstrike. The captain advised maintenance watch who dispatched an engineer to inspect the aircraft.
The engineer used scissor lift equipment to inspect the tailplane and confirmed that the fairing might have been damaged by a bird but that there was also significant structural damage on top of the tailplane. The aircraft was grounded and the ATSB advised..."
The investigation is continuing and will include review of the:
•meteorological data
•data from the flight data recorder
•data from the cockpit voice recorder
•closed circuit TV footage
•aircraft operator’s procedures and training
•aircraft maintenance records
•maintenance organisation’s procedures and equipment
•arrangements between the aircraft operator and maintenance organisation
•aircraft manufacturer’s maintenance instructions
•information as it becomes available during the repair process.
Makes for a fascinating read but like so many of these types of investigations it leaves you with more questions than answers...
Here is Ben's, not surprising, take on it so far...
:
Virgin Australia flew 13 passenger flights in broken turbo-prop
Where on earth is CASA as well as Virgin Australia and the Minister for Aviation in relation to the shocking
update by the ATSB in the case of a damaged 68 passenger ATR72 turbo-prop that was allowed to fly 13 times in scheduled service after a turbulence event on a Sydney-Canberra flight in February?
The core elements of the ATSB report show that Virgin Australia’s engineering contractor and the airline failed to identify and understand serious damage done to this aircraft in the turbulence event.
The aircraft was then allowed to carry passengers for thirteen sectors in that state before an in-flight crisis five days later approaching Albury from Sydney where it was grounded after landing, and remains to those day, pending repairs if indeed it can be repaired.
These are scandalous disclosures. No one in the general flying public in this country expects that a contract maintenance organisation could be so bad at its job that it failed to understand and identify the grave safety of flight issues apparent on the Virgin turbo-prop on 20 February.
It is after all, what the maintenance provider is paid by Virgin to do, rather than scratch their heads and release the aircraft back into service.
It’s Virgin’s inescapable legal obligation to ensure that all aircraft are safe before flying. It didn’t ensure the safety of these 13 flights. It’s CASA’s role to enforce and maintain a safe level of oversight on airline operations and ensure that those who carry out aircraft maintenance are competent and effective.
It’s the Minister’s responsibility, particularly as the leader of the Nationals, to make sure that rural and regional air services, including those that fly him and his colleagues to and from Canberra, are safe. It’s called Ministerial responsibility.
How on earth did this situation arise with this aircraft, and what steps have been taken to ensure that whoever screwed up so badly, within Virgin, and within the contractor, never get to imperil the safety of flight in this country in this manner again?
This may seem harsh. But flight safety standards are by necessity harsh. The harsh reality is that 13 passenger loads were exposed to a broken aircraft, and that is intolerable. Read the ATSB document linked to above very carefully, as it contains inferences and disclosures that are very disturbing.
A statement will be issued by Virgin Australia today and will be added to this report as soon as possible, and further reports on this matter will of course be posted as to future developments
"Where on earth is CASA as well as Virgin Australia and the Minister for Aviation"...not to mention where have the ATsBeaker been for nearly three months since the prelim report was meant to be released; or (benefit of the doubt) have they just been told to sit on their hands (& prelim report) while the ducks have been realigned??
Either way it just increases the intrigue...
Let's see Miniscule we've got the ASRR report to respond to; the TSBC review report to be released; the CVD matter to address...the list goes on..
The Tango comment from another PT article...
ATSB Mildura fog crisis report delayed for good reasons is particularly pertinent to this (further) non-transparent bureau investigation:
Tango
Posted June 8, 2014 at 4:23 am |
Permalink
When Rome is burning do you wait for the report before you get out the fire trucks?
While you may not be able to solve all the problems, you can solve the one in front of you to some degree or in totality.
To delay sounds like more of the Pel Air crash.
In Alaska they remoted the weather stations and even back in the day, we had manned stations all over the state (about the average size of one of the Australian States). We had a population of 150,000 in those days. If that could be managed.
If this was that critical and it looks to be from over here, then it required immediate action even if longer term and better solutions were worked on and out.
Delaying just the report a year, which will become 5 or until something happens is pretty bizarre.
Once again it is cross Ts, dot Is and make sure all is in order before we breath.
Busy times ahead Miniscule..TICK TOCK!
PT Update:
Virgin Australia statement:
The safety of our guests, crew and aircraft is our number one priority at Virgin Australia and we have strong protocols in place to ensure the safety of our operations is maintained to the highest standard.
While this is an isolated issue, we are working with the ATSB, the aircraft manufacturer and our maintenance provider to identify what has occurred. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment in any further detail at this stage.
Generally speaking, Plane Talking would rather responses to stories stand alone.
However the ‘protocols in place’ referred to didn’t work. If they didn’t work, they need to be made to work, because the fact that they didn’t work seriously compromised the safety of 13 Virgin Australia flights, and if anyone doubts that, damage to the control surfaces on the tail of an airliner, and damage that escapes detection, is a truly serious matter.
The term ‘isolated’ is perplexing. This was a failure that applied to the relationship and quality of service between an airline, a contractor, and its fleet of turbo-props. If you are a regional or Canberra flyer, how would you feel about the term ‘isolated’?