What's up with ATC?

[PiperCameron]

Exclusive: Listen as air traffic control miss major incident on packed A330 – Australian Aviation (https://australianaviation.com.au/2022/10/exclusive-listen-as-air-traffic-control-miss-major-incident-on-packed-a330/)

"Australian Aviation has obtained a recording that reveals how air traffic control missed one of the most serious aviation safety incidents in a generation involving a packed A330. After failing to respond to the first PAN PAN call for help from the Malaysia Airlines first officer, the [tower] controller then didn’t respond when the crew of separate aircraft asked if they’d heard it."

Appears to relate the the Brisbane Airport Pitot Covers Problem ATSB issued a report on back in March:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2018/aair/ao-2018-053/

Apart from being HIGHLY sensational, is there really anything to this response?

[Lead Balloon]

Nothing to see here, move on. Tower fails to respond to a PAN call from a transport category aircraft full of pax that’s getting wonky flight instrument indication? Meh. There was never any risk to safety.

[PiperCameron]

Nothing to see here, move on. Tower fails to respond to a PAN call from a transport category aircraft full of pax that’s getting wonky flight instrument indication? Meh. There was never any risk to safety.

Agree totally. ...which makes me curious as to why AA would be yelling so loudly. Did someone at Airservices refuse to pay for their dinner or something??

[Lead Balloon]

I should have included /sarcasm on /sarcasm off on my post.

if you earnestly believe that the failure by a control tower to respond to a PAN call from a jet full of pax is a ‘nothing to see here’ event, you’re even wetter behind the ears than many of your other posts suggest.

[PiperCameron]

There is nothing here that is news.

Sadly.

BTW, the approach controller who did respond to the emergency did a bang up job. And at the time he was only recently endorsed on the position.

Indeed.. which is why I started this thread. My apologies if anyone thought for 2 seconds I might have been having a go at the fine folks at Airservices, because nothing could be further from the truth. I could hardly have titled the thread "What's up with Australian Aviation?" now could I?

Anyway, the ATSB report came out 6 months back and now Australian Aviation have an "Exclusive!" recording?!? Maybe it's a slow news week.. or maybe someone at AA is out to cause trouble, but if there's nothing to see here maybe it's time I take them off my reading list.

[MalcolmReynolds]

PiperCameron It WAS time to take AA off your reading list over Ten Years ago. Even more so now I think! Z👍

[Pastor of Muppets]

They were either distracted with that ridiculous ground frequency dance, or too busy pissing about with the hopeless new Stars..
While we are having a crack at Brissy, how about the countless instructions and info in a ground clearance these days? Followed by the inevitable incorrect read back.
Clog clog clog goes the frequency. Blink blink blink goes the cockpit SA

[PoppaJo]

Didn't think we were having a crack at Brissy?

But if we were.....

After two years of operation why are there still no Independent Approaches to the parallel runways?

​​​​​Pretty obvious they don't have enough controllers 80% of the time - but what about the other 20%?
Ohhh the locals would have an absolute fit over that. Check out the Facebook page they have going, local MPs part of the page, someone was having a whinge that a jet was overflying at FL400. The Greens are behind that movement also.

[missy]

Nope. Different union for starters. Jets land/depart from airports that don't have ARFF now so what's the big deal? Affordable safety!

[PiperCameron]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-18/sa-aviation-firefighters-threaten-strike/101548402

Anyone seeing a common denominator?

Nah. It's not quite sensational enough. Here's AA's take on the same subject:

"Airservices Australia, the government-owned organisation responsible for airport rescue and firefighting, has said in response it’s negotiating in “good faith” and has already made a “generous” offer to union members."
https://australianaviation.com.au/2022/10/airport-firefighters-mull-strikes-against-airservices/

(I know I should stop reading AA, but.. :uhoh: )