CASA takes health check
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CASA takes health check
Fri "The Australian"
CASA takes health check
Steve Creedy
January 14, 2005
THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority will review its medical certification standards to ensure they meet international benchmarks after a heart attack was blamed for a fatal air crash involving a family of five.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommended a review of the standards after it found pilot Gerald Mall, who held a valid medical certificate, probably had a heart attack prior to the accident.
Mall, his wife Caroline, son David, 10, and daughters Amy, 7, and Elysse, 5, died when their twin-engine Piper Aztec crashed near Mareeba in Queensland in October 2003.
The Sydney family had been holidaying in northern Queensland in the newly purchased plane and had arrived in Mareeba a few days before the accident.
Witnesses said the aircraft started to bank left shortly after taking off from the Mareeba airstrip. The bank gradually steepened until the aircraft crashed and burst into flames.
An ATSB report released yesterday said witnesses close to the aerodrome described noises consistent with normal operation.
Although much of the aircraft was destroyed by fire, investigators were unable to find any pre-existing defects that might have contributed to the accident.
However, a post-mortem examination of Mall identified significant narrowing of the coronary arteries in the pilot, who held a valid medical certificate.
"The reason for loss of control could not be conclusively established. However the circumstances of the accident and the available evidence was consistent with pilot incapacitation associated with coronary heart disease," the report said.
Investigators said they could not rule out the possibility that an event such as a cabin door opening or a bird strike had caused a heart attack.
CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the authority's screening regime for heart problems took into account a range of factors recognised by the medical fraternity as predictors of heart attacks.
He said this was constantly reviewed against medical research and best practice around the world.
"We will review the heart attack criteria in the light of this report but, probably more importantly, in the light of continuing research into cardiac health issues in the medical world in general," he said.
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CASA takes health check
Steve Creedy
January 14, 2005
THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority will review its medical certification standards to ensure they meet international benchmarks after a heart attack was blamed for a fatal air crash involving a family of five.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommended a review of the standards after it found pilot Gerald Mall, who held a valid medical certificate, probably had a heart attack prior to the accident.
Mall, his wife Caroline, son David, 10, and daughters Amy, 7, and Elysse, 5, died when their twin-engine Piper Aztec crashed near Mareeba in Queensland in October 2003.
The Sydney family had been holidaying in northern Queensland in the newly purchased plane and had arrived in Mareeba a few days before the accident.
Witnesses said the aircraft started to bank left shortly after taking off from the Mareeba airstrip. The bank gradually steepened until the aircraft crashed and burst into flames.
An ATSB report released yesterday said witnesses close to the aerodrome described noises consistent with normal operation.
Although much of the aircraft was destroyed by fire, investigators were unable to find any pre-existing defects that might have contributed to the accident.
However, a post-mortem examination of Mall identified significant narrowing of the coronary arteries in the pilot, who held a valid medical certificate.
"The reason for loss of control could not be conclusively established. However the circumstances of the accident and the available evidence was consistent with pilot incapacitation associated with coronary heart disease," the report said.
Investigators said they could not rule out the possibility that an event such as a cabin door opening or a bird strike had caused a heart attack.
CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the authority's screening regime for heart problems took into account a range of factors recognised by the medical fraternity as predictors of heart attacks.
He said this was constantly reviewed against medical research and best practice around the world.
"We will review the heart attack criteria in the light of this report but, probably more importantly, in the light of continuing research into cardiac health issues in the medical world in general," he said.
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First of all, clearly this was a very sad occurence and my thoughts go out to their friends and relatives and my comments are in no way a criticism of anyone involved with the flight.
Private aircraft owners or people who regularly take their partner and family flying should strongly consider having their non-pilot partner undertake a "pinch seater" course, to enable them to have a chance at landing the aircraft following the incapacitation of the pilot. Say around 10 hours of training to understand the basics of the controls and how to talk to someone on the radio. It would not always help eg at night in cloud, but it will certainly save some for a reasonable cost outlay.
Secondly, I am always amazed at the commercial pilots that seem to be able to maintain their medical to Class 1 standards given their obvious obesity, smoking, lack of exercise and out of scale BMI. Those questions that the DAME asks at the start of the medical are supposed to mean something surely?
I realise that the other side of the coin is that an otherwise fit and healthy person can be incapacitated for any number of unforseen or unforseeable reasons but surely tightening up on those people who are obviously a heart attack waiting to happen would be a move in the right direction.
Private aircraft owners or people who regularly take their partner and family flying should strongly consider having their non-pilot partner undertake a "pinch seater" course, to enable them to have a chance at landing the aircraft following the incapacitation of the pilot. Say around 10 hours of training to understand the basics of the controls and how to talk to someone on the radio. It would not always help eg at night in cloud, but it will certainly save some for a reasonable cost outlay.
Secondly, I am always amazed at the commercial pilots that seem to be able to maintain their medical to Class 1 standards given their obvious obesity, smoking, lack of exercise and out of scale BMI. Those questions that the DAME asks at the start of the medical are supposed to mean something surely?
I realise that the other side of the coin is that an otherwise fit and healthy person can be incapacitated for any number of unforseen or unforseeable reasons but surely tightening up on those people who are obviously a heart attack waiting to happen would be a move in the right direction.
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Icarus,
I agree 100% with your comments regarding the "pinch seater" course. It is, in my opinion, a must for all regular flyers that are non-pilots.
Perhaps CASA could make this a recommendation in a future Flight Safety magazine?
Cheers.
Henry
I agree 100% with your comments regarding the "pinch seater" course. It is, in my opinion, a must for all regular flyers that are non-pilots.
Perhaps CASA could make this a recommendation in a future Flight Safety magazine?
Cheers.
Henry
