{4Bs – Beancounter Beaker’s Budgetary Benefit}
After reading through the latest... Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin - 31... I have some serious concerns about the true motivations for such a concept and whether the bureau...
As stated under the title ‘About this Bulletin’ (page 45):
“There are times when more detailed information about the circumstances of the occurrence allows the ATSB to make a more informed decision both about whether to investigate at all and, if so, what necessary resources are required (investigation level). In addition, further publically available information on accidents and serious incidents increases safety awareness in the industry and enables improved research activities and analysis of safety trends, leading to more targeted safety education…”
…are truly scoping for maximum safety benefit/education or for bureau budgetary benefit, highlighted in bullet point 4 (page 46):
• In cases where the initial decision was to conduct a full investigation, but which, after the preliminary evidence collection and review phase, later suggested that further resources are not warranted, the investigation may be finalised with a short factual report.
With the true reason on why Beaker even bothers in the next bullet point:
• It assists Australia to more fully comply with its obligations under ICAO Annex 13 to investigate all aviation accidents and serious incidents.
Scrolling through the Jet & Turboprop ‘Serious Incidents’, all of which involved HCRPT operators, one wonders if Beaker’s scoping crew have scoped out of existence all the real causal chain factors involved?? Some of the cursory ‘safety messages’ beggar belief, with the operators involved being the only true beneficiaries of the lessons learnt, reflected in their proactive actions taken.
These HCRPT operators fortunately have the added benefit of having (mostly) their own safety departments & SMS to initiate a more thorough investigation into these incidents.
Not so the poor buggers in the Piston Aircraft section, the most disturbing of which was the grossly under investigated and under reported; Collision with terrain involving a Cessna 210, VH-HGZ where the pilot & pax were quite literally seconds from death and both, according to the report, seriously injured. Yet all the bureau had to say in response was…
“…ATSB comment
From the photographs provided by the operator (Figure 2), the ATSB assessed that a connecting rod appeared to have broken and separated from the crankshaft, resulting in a hole in the crankcase. This precipitated a catastrophic engine failure. The smoke entering the cockpit was likely to have been from burning oil…”
…no safety summary, no significant factors, no nothing really??
In agreement with “K” that in combination with the ATR prelim report, the YMIA investigation (love in) and the bureau ASRR submission etc…
“…The ATSB submission, like Oliver simply asks for more porridge and can be as easily dismissed as the pathetic (bloody disgraceful) – press release – doled out as an 'interim' report on the ATR incident. Annexe 19 - indeed…”
…absolutely bloody disgraceful...
There may be no industry trust when it comes to the regulator but after recent evidence can anyone truly believe what is coming out of the bureau??
From ASRR submission (my bold):
The ATSB relies on industry to report accidents and incidents and for its close cooperation during the conduct of investigation. While it is clearly important for the ATSB and CASA to work cooperatively in the mutual interests of aviation safety, it is also important that the ATSB’s independence and role as the no-blame safety investigator remains distinct from the role of the regulator.
Notwithstanding the legitimate need for the ATSB and CASA to share safety information in pursuit of those mutual interests (which needs to be entirely transparent to industry, including with a clear understanding as to how such information will be used and what limitations and protections will apply), any perceived merging of the ATSB and CASA roles creates potential to undermine the confidence industry has to both report openly to the ATSB and to cooperate in the conduct of investigations.{Comment: Certainly got that last bit right}
And apparently (at the time of writing their submission) it is only going to get worse for GA accident/incident investigation:
Of the $23.9m funded to the ATSB in 2013–14, around $1.6m (7 per cent) has been allocated towards safety awareness, education and research activity. On current forward estimates, it will be very difficult to maintain this level of funding unless further funds are diverted from investigation resources or provided from an external source.
Yet that happened with the tragic disappearance of MH370. However the true motives for the bureau being actively involved are questionable and whether it will mean more resources for the bureau’s main remit (i.e. TSI) is equally debateable.
Sidewinder from Ben (PT recent article: MH370: The news vacuum brings out the vacuous):
However in the rotation into regular view of this other piece of news the ATSB, the source of the stories on at least two recent rotations through the news media, is just trying to leverage publicity. This coming from an organisation which has recently been discredited by the Abbott Government’s review of Australian Air Safety Regulations for its digracefully botched report into the Pel-Air crash is more than a bit nauseating.
The responsible Minister, or perhaps the PM, needs to apply boot to backside when it comes to the ATSB. This is an agency that couldn’t even retrieve a flight data recorder from a known location in 30 metres of water off Norfolk Island after the Pel-Air ambulance flight was ditched just before it would have exhausted its fuel, and is implicated in a Senate report as having suppressed or dismissed evidence that the failed oversight of the operator by CASA, Australia’s safety regulator, might have been a factor in the crash occurring.
For the sake of Australia’s reputation in air safety matters, someone needs to drop a cone of silence over the ATSB, and get it to redo what is an absurb accident report before it chooses to strut its stuff on the MH370 world stage.
Yes Miniscule boot to backside please (like now) or hand it to Barnaby..
SOB...
TICK TOCK Miniscule!