AAIB Monthly Bulletins - New Format

[Circuit Basher]

The Jan 05 AAIB Report (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/sites/aaib/publications/bulletins/january_2005.cfm) has been released over the last couple of days and the format of this has been changed to be presented as a summary page (containing aircraft types and registrations only) with hyperlinks to individual incident pages which then contain hyperlinks to PDF files containing the accident report.

The previous format used to be a summary page with hyperlinks to HTML pages that contained the accident information (with the option of downloading a PDF / Word file).

It is now much more time consuming to read the monthly reports and I would view this as a negative step. Before I go in with my Size 9s to the AAIB, would any of the more educated readers of this forum agree with what I'm saying (or are there any lurkers with good contacts in the AAIB who may wish to email me their comments if they are not permitted to post here??!!) :D

[Kolibear]

I'm not over imnpressed either, with the old format you easily access all the reports back to 1996. Now, if you want to see e.g May 1998, you have to put that into the 'search' facility.

Also, the site doesn't work in Netscape, but is configured for Internet Explorer.

IMHO, its not an improvement.

[c-bert]

It does take far longer to view all the reports now. I like the look of the new website - just not the practical aspects of it.

[Big Hilly]

Wholeheartedly agree with your comments CB. It's a major step backwards from a user-friendly point of view.

BH

[bar shaker]

The concept is good, but the search engine is as useful as an ashtray in a Moth.

[Pronto]

I agree. I like the look of the new site, but it now takes longer to read. If the AAIB is receptive to suggestions, then I would support a return to the HTML format.

[Daysleeper]

i agree, its a backward step. just spent ages downloading some rubbish about the inner workings of an airbridge.

[Curtis E Carr]

I assume that everyone who has posted criticisms of the new AAIB website on this thread have also emailed the AAIB with their comments. If not, you should do so. I have, and have received a holding reply. Time will tell as to whether anything will actually happen, but there is a greater chance of action being taken if we all make known our displeasure to the people who can effect change.

[Evo]

Hasn't this happened once before? ISTR that the AAIB were quick to fix it then, so fingers crossed.

Without wanting to read too much into it, this sort of thing often happens when a designer comes up with a pretty design that's really quick over the office LAN, while forgetting that users have to use it over slow dial-up :rolleyes:

[Circuit Basher]

Curtis E Carr
I have indeed emailed [email protected] about this (once a few people had confirmed that it wasn't just me). I have not yet had a response (not even a holding reply).

Text of email:

I have just read the Jan 05 AAIB Bulletin and have found it very time consuming, with the new system whereby each incident is presented as a summary page containing aircraft type and reg only, then having to open a hyperlink to give a page where you then get a hyperlink to a PDF file. This makes scanning monthly reports somewhat tedious (and lengthy for those without broadband access) and I would suggest tht this is a retrograde step for the aviation community.

I am a PPL with an interest in improving aviation safety and preferred the old method whereby the incident could be read in HTML without having to separately download the PDF file. As a user of PPRuNe (pseudonym Circuit Basher), I have posted a topic at http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=159498 , asking for the views of the general aviation community on this change. The text of the thread is attached below:
____________________________________________
[snipped]
____________________________________________

I recognise that as a public sector Web site, you have a requirement to consider the security of your data but would suggest that the nature of the topic makes the ease of access to these reports a crucial factor when deciding on the method of presentation.

For information, I am a computer engineer by training and routinely participate in software / system design reviews, where usability of software is always a key feature!

This observation is offered in the spirit of constructive comment, without the dogma of 'All change must be bad' which is frequently found when changing presentation of information on the Web!!

[jabberwok]

I notice that when you click on a link for an individual aircraft it brings up an overview page. This shows Registration, type and location plus the link to the PDF file.

There is also a Summary header on the overview page but a check of several incidents show this is not filled in. A pity as a quick summary of the incident would be very handy at this point and would indicate if the PDF is worth opening.

jb

[SQUAWKIDENT]

Agreed - new site format is a retrograde step. Email sent to AAIB.

[terryJones]

I wrote to them, and recieved this reply this morning:-

Dear Mr Jones
Thank you for your e-mail enquiry.
I am sorry that you are experiencing some problems with our new website, and yes we are using the PDF system now but we will be looking to rectify this soon.
Thank you for your comments and bearing with us while we are making these changes and/or improvements.

Regards

Lorna Orme
Information Unit
Air Accidents Investigation Branch

TJ

[AlexL]

Yeah quite agree it is pants. If they are not willing / able to change back to an HTML format, then at least a little bit more info, or a brief synopsis on the front page would be very useful, so you can decide weather to download the file or not. The "number of crew, pax level of injury, extent of damage" stuff which is on the front page of the PDF report would be very useful on the web page, other wise you download a report about an airbus and find lots of stuff about a door resting on an airbridge.