JetStar Near Miss Probe
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JetStar Near Miss Probe
by Ben Sandilands
The pilot union AIPA has called on the federal government to pursue an apparent attempt to interfere with the evidence two Jetstar pilots were giving to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau about a near-crash by one of the airline’s A320s at Melbourne Airport on July 21, 2007.
The incident, which was only under investigation because of a report in Crikey, saw about 140 people flown to within six or seven metres of the ground in fog by two pilots left in a state of confusion because the airline had improperly changed its operating procedures for missed approaches.
Captain Richard Woodward, vice-president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, this morning said:
It also found that Jetstar made no risk analysis of the changes, and left no documentary evidence that the ATSB could find concerning its actions, which it reversed after the incident became notorious.
Crikey blog Plane Talking has previously reported that the Jetstar actions also invalidated the certification its A320s to operate in Australia, and constituted one of the most gratuitously ignorant infringements of airline safety standards on record in the country.
In his testimony, Captain Klouth also criticised the training he was required to pay for to be employed as a Jetstar A320 pilot when he resumed a flying career that ended with the collapse of Ansett Mark II in 2002 and saw him work for the ATSB before being recruited by the Qantas subsidiary.
“I did my A320 rating with Alteon, which is a Boeing-owned company,” Klouth said. ”I was not provided with cockpit diagrams on which to practice procedures, or provided with any systems manuals (other than those purchased from Jetstar), with which to revise the computer-based training and had simulator instructors who had never actually flown the aircraft.
“The instructors were not familiar with the airline operating procedures and would actually speak disparagingly about the airline that I was to be employed by. It was only because I had been trained on jet aircraft that I was able to understand what would be required of me when I was checked by the airline. The training provides little more than an endorsement approved by CASA.
“It does not provide value for money and does not prepare a new pilot adequately for line training.”
Klouth told the inquiry that the previously highly regarded standards of airline flying that the public had come to expect from the major Australian airlines were no longer “a given”.
The inquiry is considering arguments for and against Australia adopting the same tough new standards of experience for mainline airline pilots that were recently formulated in the US by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The pilot union AIPA has called on the federal government to pursue an apparent attempt to interfere with the evidence two Jetstar pilots were giving to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau about a near-crash by one of the airline’s A320s at Melbourne Airport on July 21, 2007.
The incident, which was only under investigation because of a report in Crikey, saw about 140 people flown to within six or seven metres of the ground in fog by two pilots left in a state of confusion because the airline had improperly changed its operating procedures for missed approaches.
Captain Richard Woodward, vice-president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, this morning said:
“The evidence provided to the Senate inquiry yesterdayabout persons unknown impersonating ATSB officers was extraordinary.
“AIPA calls on the federal government to commit sufficient resources to the Federal Police to allow a proper investigation into this occurrence. It is critically important that a properly resourced investigation take place.
“It does not matter whether this bogus ATSB investigator was someone trying to gain information, a prank, or a serious attempt to interfere with an air safety investigation. This type of behavior compromises the safety investigation process and thus puts air safety at risk.”
The impersonation attempt was raised by senior Jetstar A320 training captain Geoff Klouth. The ATSB found in its final report into the incident that Jetstar had changed the standard operating procedures for missed approaches several weeks before the incident, and that this caused bewilderment in the cockpit because the approved Airbus procedures of checking throttle settings had been removed from the top of the relevant check list.It also found that Jetstar made no risk analysis of the changes, and left no documentary evidence that the ATSB could find concerning its actions, which it reversed after the incident became notorious.
Crikey blog Plane Talking has previously reported that the Jetstar actions also invalidated the certification its A320s to operate in Australia, and constituted one of the most gratuitously ignorant infringements of airline safety standards on record in the country.
In his testimony, Captain Klouth also criticised the training he was required to pay for to be employed as a Jetstar A320 pilot when he resumed a flying career that ended with the collapse of Ansett Mark II in 2002 and saw him work for the ATSB before being recruited by the Qantas subsidiary.
“I did my A320 rating with Alteon, which is a Boeing-owned company,” Klouth said. ”I was not provided with cockpit diagrams on which to practice procedures, or provided with any systems manuals (other than those purchased from Jetstar), with which to revise the computer-based training and had simulator instructors who had never actually flown the aircraft.
“The instructors were not familiar with the airline operating procedures and would actually speak disparagingly about the airline that I was to be employed by. It was only because I had been trained on jet aircraft that I was able to understand what would be required of me when I was checked by the airline. The training provides little more than an endorsement approved by CASA.
“It does not provide value for money and does not prepare a new pilot adequately for line training.”
Klouth told the inquiry that the previously highly regarded standards of airline flying that the public had come to expect from the major Australian airlines were no longer “a given”.
The inquiry is considering arguments for and against Australia adopting the same tough new standards of experience for mainline airline pilots that were recently formulated in the US by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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What a sad state of affairs Australian Aviation has become. Mind you, LCC operations in S.E. Asia is no better.
Anyone telling you that safety is their First concern are just plain dishonest. Safety is a concern because if management is caught out it may be their hides nailed to the barn door. It is all about money and saving face.
Anyone telling you that safety is their First concern are just plain dishonest. Safety is a concern because if management is caught out it may be their hides nailed to the barn door. It is all about money and saving face.
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And it's only going to get worse ... this new cadet scheme is a joke!
It's an insult to all the guys and girls who have taken the long road to gain valuable experience.
YouTube - Jet Star Pilot Safety
It's an insult to all the guys and girls who have taken the long road to gain valuable experience.
YouTube - Jet Star Pilot Safety
AFP under resourced?
To state the AFP haven't enough resources to investigate this matter is a joke!! It is all political!
I should know from personal experience, as I was raided by no less than 7 heavily armed AFP officers in December 2009 and arrested. The charges (and you are not going to believe this!!!) were for apparently cancelling/ amending company flight plans via the NAIPs/Airservices website!!
The terms of bail were initially to not access the airservices website (which effectively means I can't work as a professional IFR pilot), to surrender my passport (which is a requirement of my job,or should I say job no more), to report twice a week to the local cop station (which I have been able to get dropped) and not to approach an international point of departure (which again effectively means I can't work as a professional pilot).
The case has been through numerous mentions over the past year and a bit, till finally I have to front up this Friday for a Federal Magistrates Court Committal hearing. Hopefully (cross fingers) the Magistrate will see this for what it is...."a complete overreaction to a non-event", "for f#@K sake I can't even remember the dates in question"......."what did they think I was terrorist or a spy".
Anyway (rant over) for the AFP to say they don't have the resources to investigate Jetstar/AFP matter is a complete furphy.
ps Word of advice don't use the NAIPs amend/cancel function (it is flawed) as you may end up being prosecuted by the AFP.
I should know from personal experience, as I was raided by no less than 7 heavily armed AFP officers in December 2009 and arrested. The charges (and you are not going to believe this!!!) were for apparently cancelling/ amending company flight plans via the NAIPs/Airservices website!!
The terms of bail were initially to not access the airservices website (which effectively means I can't work as a professional IFR pilot), to surrender my passport (which is a requirement of my job,or should I say job no more), to report twice a week to the local cop station (which I have been able to get dropped) and not to approach an international point of departure (which again effectively means I can't work as a professional pilot).
The case has been through numerous mentions over the past year and a bit, till finally I have to front up this Friday for a Federal Magistrates Court Committal hearing. Hopefully (cross fingers) the Magistrate will see this for what it is...."a complete overreaction to a non-event", "for f#@K sake I can't even remember the dates in question"......."what did they think I was terrorist or a spy".
Anyway (rant over) for the AFP to say they don't have the resources to investigate Jetstar/AFP matter is a complete furphy.
ps Word of advice don't use the NAIPs amend/cancel function (it is flawed) as you may end up being prosecuted by the AFP.
Last edited by Sarcs; 16th Feb 2011 at 10:54.
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When reading articles like this it makes me wonder which century and which country we live in.
Pre war Germany comes to mind
Pre war Germany comes to mind
Got to agree with BC, excellent find CTP and it is not just J* that are going to be literally changing the landscape around here!!
ps Be interesting to see the J* PR spin on this one!
ps Be interesting to see the J* PR spin on this one!
Last edited by Sarcs; 16th Feb 2011 at 10:49.
With due respect to the makers of the video, it will miss the mark - the public.
What about a newspaper ad with a young bloke putting his P's on a car with (in Vic) 120 hours minimum driving time. Next to him is a cadet saying I have 200 hours and I am flying YOU.
What about a newspaper ad with a young bloke putting his P's on a car with (in Vic) 120 hours minimum driving time. Next to him is a cadet saying I have 200 hours and I am flying YOU.
