You have done well HA

[steelcraft]

HA you have done well to keep the incident at Riverin under wraps.
I hear he is still employed? Lucky he does not work for other operators in Darwin. Baptism of fire for the new CP.
I hope it does not effect your business.

Regards

[sweethart]

This one and the rest! Quite a resume has our nac!

[Gotmygearup]

Nice spot on the evening news HA, your loosing your PR touch. ...(Self deleted deu needless nastiness)... Pic's of JQS on the news, even looked like the pilot was downing a post crash sixpack.

[George.Handel]

As I said in a similar thread on new uniforms.

"That makes 2 prangs for NAC this year, and its not even half March. Plus the 3 I can think of off the top of my head last year (one near killed the pilot) and 2 in the few months of 02 I was up here. How come AN, AF and the rest of us cop so much heat yet this company seems to be invisible to the authorities."

[ginjockey]

The reason that the continuing series of prangs do wind up in the local paper is that HA is wooing a junior D grade journo who works there. Everytime a red and white plane ploughs into the scrub somewhere she apparently runs about and pours cold water all over the fire to try and hide it. The TV news are clearly still happy to run the story. Pictures of drunk cowboys all standing on top of the broken and crippled wreckage toasting their survival appeared last night I believe. I don't see any point in congratulating the company on covering up their latest crash. Maybe not crashing would be the best cure for bad PR. Why not give it a try sometime?

[CoodaShooda]

Pictures of drunk cowboys all standing on top of the broken and crippled wreckage toasting their survival appeared last night

Not exactly as it appeared on the news ginjockey. With your literary ability perhaps you should consider a career in journalism.:}

I didn't hear all the story so don't know if was a gear failure or pilot error. Can anyone clarify?

[The Voice]

From the 2 second exposure on ch 9 last night .. I'd have to agree that the photo looked like a bunch of trophy collectors standing in front of their prize ...

looked like they were a lucky bunch ...

HA, has your lucky streak has deserted you this last couple of weeks? If that's # 2 can't wait to find out what # 3 is .. IF everything happens in 3's ...

[ginjockey]

You said it. They were a seriously lucky bunch. Any ongoing string of incidents (and this is actually much more than number two) indicates a possible systematic breakdown of safety management somewhere. I suggest that any business who suffers ongoing potentially deadly mishaps should take the iniative and get an independent risk management assesment carried out on the policies, training, pilots, staff, management etc etc.

It's a very short journey from minor mishap to multiple fatality. Have a look at the atsb website and you'll see how many families are killed in GA mishaps just like this one.

If we were talking about a mining site or offshore oil/gas rig with that record, this business would be in it up to it's neck. Let's not forget that this is the safety of the travelling public we are talking about here.

Have a good weekend all. I'm off sailing the Whitsundays, safer than flying.... sometimes.

[jon.pierre]

Couldn't resist coming out of a short lived "Pprune Retirement" for a shot at this one.

Bad publicity streak is the word. Brand new monaro fire ball... Crash a Chieftain seen nationally with grave indiference to significance event when face with opportunity to drink beer on national tv... and front page party story of NT news yesterday (like the truth wouldn't come out)... Hope they are just in 3's HA, or some journo' might right a story X-ref'ing Sunday with the 210 near Palumpa, OR WORSE your 10+ string over the last 4 years.

Where experience counts... and in this, some have far more experience than others (Thould wouldn't wish it for anyone). It is all VERY WORRYING indeed.

Good w/e to you all, I'm back to the couch :zzz:

[vee tail]

every one so quick to can nac all the time. no mention that its good that the driver is all still intact and once again no fatallities.

Sorry to hear about it HA

Hope things improve

[The Voice]

Vee Tail .. RELAX!

NO-ONE is making light of the seriousness of the accident ... but poor old ......... he has had a touch of bad luck this last couple of weeks .. it has been a mighty expensive 10 days or so $$'s wise .. and I bet the next car doesn't get too far out of his line of sight either!

but it has not cost a life .. thank god!

shame that the event seems to have been a trigger for a publicity outing ...

Gin ..

I was only referring to the car incident (and they were two incredibly lucky people that night, and for the record ...... was actually doing a mate a favour who had suffered a drama at the hands of someone else), and the latest bingle, nothing else ..

[Lake Evil]

The parties seem to be going off though, people seem to be jumping off bridges to get over them. refer NT NEWS Thurs March 11 Front Page

[George.Handel]

Voice,

When I say 2 this year, I mean 2 planes. Before this Chieftain NAC had a 210 prop-strike near Palumpa that was also kept low key.

What should be of concern for the rest of us, who work hard to place actual safety of operations before its appearance, is that these incidents/accidents follow on the end of a very long chain.

Like some of the previous events, it was only by good grace that no one was injured last weekend.
- 206 crash after the mixture cable comes out the pilots hand, almost killing the pilot.
- 210 emergency landing at Batchelor after running out of oil.
- 210 wheels up.
- 310 wheels up at Gove.
- 210 flown with structural damage AND PASSENGERS.
And that’s just the last couple of years!

Now, I'm not saying that no other operators have incidents or (god forbid) accidents, but NO OTHER operator in Darwin is allowed so much as to change the coffee machine without proving to the local CASA that is can continue safe operations. Someone needs to explain how this company’s record can be obtained and still not come under the strongest scrutiny of the authorities.

Did the passengers of Seaview and Monarch perish for naught? Perhaps as in the past, some has to die first!

[George.Handel]

Article from an old copy of the ANU Reporter (the uni rag) is interesting on this topic.

Article by Shelly Simonds on deregulation and refering to studies done by ANU Prof. John Hopkins, Dec '97 (ah the good ol' days).
"The problems revealed in the Monarch and Seaview air disasters still persist and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority doesn't seem to be able to deal with them," said Prof Hopkins.

The deregulation of the labour market for pilots is one major problem, he said. After a series of unsuccessful strikes, the number of salaried pilots has dropped and an increasing number are working as casuals for small operators.

"Casualisation makes it hard for pilots because if they're worried about safety and refuse to fly a plane, they won't get paid," said Prof Hopkins.

Another result of the deregulated employment market for pilots was increased competition for piloting experience. Pilots desperate to build up hours in the air, were willing to serve as co-pilots for Monarch without pay, a Senate inquiry into the Monarch crash was told.

"The chaotic nature of the deregulated labour market for pilots was a contributing factor to the Monarch crash," said Prof Hopkins.

Deregulation also coincided with a reduction of safety regulatory staff. The number of government air worthiness inspectors dropped from 350 in 1991 to 159 for 1996_97.

To compensate for the staffing shortfall, airlines have been given greater responsibility for inspecting safety standards in their aircraft. But penalties for failure to comply with standards have not increased accordingly, said Prof Hopkins.

"In a deregulated environment with fewer inspectors, at the very least you need more dire penalties for those who abuse the system."

[jon.pierre]

George Frederic Handel,

Interesting idea actual safety v's its appearance.

From your article and history, how does this sit...?
Work your cowl flaps off to be paid p**s-all.
Taxi with you cowl flaps up to be told, "buy a carton of p**s."
Write that the cowl flaps won't go up to be told to, "p**s-off."

...the lunch room beer fridge is always full.