Islander Jock
19th Nov 2002, 06:12
Taken from The West Australian website
Death pilot 'failed tests'
By Anne Calverley
THE WA Police Service desperately needed a risk management plan to avoid tragedies like the air crash which killed four officers in the North-West last year, the Coroner's Court was told yesterday.
Insp. Anthony Flack said a plan to target fatigue, training, performance management and medical issues had since been drawn up but was not yet approved.
Police Air Support Unit trainee pilot Sen. Const. Donald Everett, 49, of Karratha, and his Newman passengers Sen. Const. Phillip Ruland, 32, Const. David Dewar, 31, and Const. Gavin Capes, 27, died when the Cessna 310R crashed a few hundred metres from Newman airport on January 26.
They were returning from a domestic disturbance at Kiwirrkurra, 860km east of Newman near the Northern Territory border.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the plane went into a spin induced by fuel starvation to one engine because the pilot had not monitored his fuel tanks properly. After the first engine stopped, the second engine quit. There was fuel in the auxiliary tanks.
Counsel assisting the coroner Dominic Mulligan said Sen. Const. Everett was grossly inexperienced and not licensed to fly a twin-engine plane at night.
He should not have been flying, having repeatedly failed the necessary tests and being diagnosed with poor eyesight.[/b]
The court also heard criticism of the police hierarchy and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Lawyer John Hammond, on behalf of the pilot, said pilots were virtually forced to train themselves on the job in remote areas, and their performance was not monitored properly.
The court was told budget cutbacks led to the Karratha township losing one pilot and replacing the other with its most inexperienced pilot, with little or no induction.
Insp. Flack said overhauling police risk management standards would reduce the chances of another tragedy.
He found it abhorrent that air wing chief pilot Murray Webster had to teach subordinates to fly when he did not have adequate training qualifications.
The one-way flow of information between the police and the safety bureau had frustrated the investigation.
A second pilot had since been appointed to Karratha and aircraft safety had never been compromised, he said.
The inquest continues.
OK, so is it just sweeping statements being made in the coronial inquiry or perhaps that poor Anne Calverley is finding some of the technical evidence too demanding?
eg:
Const. Everett was grossly inexperienced and not licensed to fly a twin-engine plane at night.
I would have thought all ME Air Spt Wng flights would be conducted IFR, particularly at night. So does this mean Don didn't have a NVFR without SE restriction allowing him to downgrade to VFR for final route segment or was the IR out of currency?
He should not have been flying, having repeatedly failed the necessary tests and being diagnosed with poor eyesight
Failed what necessary tests? Either Don did or didn't have a Class 1 medical.
I'm sure that counsel for the pilot's family will have their say which will hopefully clarify some issues but it looks like some very sloppy journalism in true aviation reporting style. :mad:
Death pilot 'failed tests'
By Anne Calverley
THE WA Police Service desperately needed a risk management plan to avoid tragedies like the air crash which killed four officers in the North-West last year, the Coroner's Court was told yesterday.
Insp. Anthony Flack said a plan to target fatigue, training, performance management and medical issues had since been drawn up but was not yet approved.
Police Air Support Unit trainee pilot Sen. Const. Donald Everett, 49, of Karratha, and his Newman passengers Sen. Const. Phillip Ruland, 32, Const. David Dewar, 31, and Const. Gavin Capes, 27, died when the Cessna 310R crashed a few hundred metres from Newman airport on January 26.
They were returning from a domestic disturbance at Kiwirrkurra, 860km east of Newman near the Northern Territory border.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the plane went into a spin induced by fuel starvation to one engine because the pilot had not monitored his fuel tanks properly. After the first engine stopped, the second engine quit. There was fuel in the auxiliary tanks.
Counsel assisting the coroner Dominic Mulligan said Sen. Const. Everett was grossly inexperienced and not licensed to fly a twin-engine plane at night.
He should not have been flying, having repeatedly failed the necessary tests and being diagnosed with poor eyesight.[/b]
The court also heard criticism of the police hierarchy and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Lawyer John Hammond, on behalf of the pilot, said pilots were virtually forced to train themselves on the job in remote areas, and their performance was not monitored properly.
The court was told budget cutbacks led to the Karratha township losing one pilot and replacing the other with its most inexperienced pilot, with little or no induction.
Insp. Flack said overhauling police risk management standards would reduce the chances of another tragedy.
He found it abhorrent that air wing chief pilot Murray Webster had to teach subordinates to fly when he did not have adequate training qualifications.
The one-way flow of information between the police and the safety bureau had frustrated the investigation.
A second pilot had since been appointed to Karratha and aircraft safety had never been compromised, he said.
The inquest continues.
OK, so is it just sweeping statements being made in the coronial inquiry or perhaps that poor Anne Calverley is finding some of the technical evidence too demanding?
eg:
Const. Everett was grossly inexperienced and not licensed to fly a twin-engine plane at night.
I would have thought all ME Air Spt Wng flights would be conducted IFR, particularly at night. So does this mean Don didn't have a NVFR without SE restriction allowing him to downgrade to VFR for final route segment or was the IR out of currency?
He should not have been flying, having repeatedly failed the necessary tests and being diagnosed with poor eyesight
Failed what necessary tests? Either Don did or didn't have a Class 1 medical.
I'm sure that counsel for the pilot's family will have their say which will hopefully clarify some issues but it looks like some very sloppy journalism in true aviation reporting style. :mad: