Accident rate prompts CASA to target pilot training
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Accident rate prompts CASA to target pilot training
Accident rate prompts CASA to target pilot training
By Geoffrey Thomas
April 02, 2004
Australian Newspaper
AUSTRALIA'S Civil Aviation Safety Authority has declared a new focus on general aviation safety to try to arrest the alarming accident rate.
CASA will work with leaders in flying training to develop new plans to try to deliver the best possible flying instruction to students, from beginners to experienced pilots refreshing or upgrading their skills.
The commitment follows a study by CASA of fatal accidents in general aviation over a 10-year period. The study found that 43 per cent of accidents resulted from uncontrolled flights into terrain, while 32 per cent involved controlled flight into terrain.
Further analysis showed poor flight planning, aircraft handling problems and fuel starvation and exhaustion were the main causes of these general aviation accidents.
One or more of these factors contributed to nearly two-thirds of the 196 fatal general aviation accidents between 1991 and 2000.
CASA chief executive Bruce Byron said work needed to begin to find ways of addressing the causes of these accidents.
"A deficiency in flight planning was a factor in 38 per cent of these accidents, so we need to look for steps that can be taken to better equip pilots to get flight planning right," Mr Byron said. "Aircraft handling errors were evident in 30 per cent of the crashes, while fuel starvation and exhaustion were involved in 10 per cent of the fatal accidents.
"These are areas where pilot training can be used as a preventive weapon and CASA needs to find better methods of helping the industry deliver the most effective information and skills."
By Geoffrey Thomas
April 02, 2004
Australian Newspaper
AUSTRALIA'S Civil Aviation Safety Authority has declared a new focus on general aviation safety to try to arrest the alarming accident rate.
CASA will work with leaders in flying training to develop new plans to try to deliver the best possible flying instruction to students, from beginners to experienced pilots refreshing or upgrading their skills.
The commitment follows a study by CASA of fatal accidents in general aviation over a 10-year period. The study found that 43 per cent of accidents resulted from uncontrolled flights into terrain, while 32 per cent involved controlled flight into terrain.
Further analysis showed poor flight planning, aircraft handling problems and fuel starvation and exhaustion were the main causes of these general aviation accidents.
One or more of these factors contributed to nearly two-thirds of the 196 fatal general aviation accidents between 1991 and 2000.
CASA chief executive Bruce Byron said work needed to begin to find ways of addressing the causes of these accidents.
"A deficiency in flight planning was a factor in 38 per cent of these accidents, so we need to look for steps that can be taken to better equip pilots to get flight planning right," Mr Byron said. "Aircraft handling errors were evident in 30 per cent of the crashes, while fuel starvation and exhaustion were involved in 10 per cent of the fatal accidents.
"These are areas where pilot training can be used as a preventive weapon and CASA needs to find better methods of helping the industry deliver the most effective information and skills."
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unbelievable....
years ago I went to a well known ATPL course and we did all the theory with the military blokes and birds who wanted to get a job in the airlines,and they were obviously so much better trained.l came away from there thinking that I had wasted my fifty odd grand and that the training I had recieved was s#%* house.
I really think that what we all recieve in GA is well below what we should be recieving,but again if an instructor is not getting paid for it ,and only for the flying hours why should he give a f#%*
And quite frankly until till the gimps in canberra get thier act together not a lot will change they will still look out for the weekend worriors in thier microlights who will soon be able to rock into international airports unannounced.
thats my two bobs worth anyway.
RWS888
I really think that what we all recieve in GA is well below what we should be recieving,but again if an instructor is not getting paid for it ,and only for the flying hours why should he give a f#%*
And quite frankly until till the gimps in canberra get thier act together not a lot will change they will still look out for the weekend worriors in thier microlights who will soon be able to rock into international airports unannounced.
thats my two bobs worth anyway.
RWS888
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So - after steadily degrading the Licence standards over the past 15 years, as well as getting rid of full reporting flight plans (making people actually calculate their flights) CASA are now trumpeting targeting falling safety standards.
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If one was REALLY cynical, one might almost think that the finger pointing at the standard of GA training was more related to diverting public interest in the issues surrounding a most unpopular new airspace system. If one insinuates that the standard of GA training is lacking, then one would expect the rate of incidents to increase because of poor flight planning on the part of the poorly trained GA driver rather than any other cause.
Not that one subscribes to conspiracy theories. Normally.
Not that one subscribes to conspiracy theories. Normally.
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It is interesting to note that most of the accidents are related to people, not machines. The classic "old aeroplanes" excuse is a lame one, which is not usually relevent, unless of course you are selling new aeroplanes. Old aeroplanes can be very useful, and safe if they are properly looked after, and well operated. Most of Australia's G.A. fleet is about half way through it's useful life. Most are younger than our military aircraft. Cessna, Piper and Beechcraft, are now producing aircraft that are 30 year old designs. Much the same as the ones we already have. Most qantas aeroplanes have more hours, than the average G.A. machines, and some of the rattly Boeings scare me even if they are only a few years old. The 747 at Longreach has over 90,000 hours!
The main problems with G.A. is that G.A. is legislated away from the money, flooded with low time newbies, has a regulator they do not trust, and a shortage of LAME's. No-one will invest money under these conditions.
So It is underfunded, has an inexperienced and negative workforce, and appaers to be treated with contempt by the authourities and the newbies who plan use it temporarily.
Supervision, audits, checklists etc will not solve anything.The basic problems must be dealt with first.
This is very important for most of Australia where the roads have not yet been built. But our regulators live in coastal cities, so they do not know. And they do not know that they do not know.
The main problems with G.A. is that G.A. is legislated away from the money, flooded with low time newbies, has a regulator they do not trust, and a shortage of LAME's. No-one will invest money under these conditions.
So It is underfunded, has an inexperienced and negative workforce, and appaers to be treated with contempt by the authourities and the newbies who plan use it temporarily.
Supervision, audits, checklists etc will not solve anything.The basic problems must be dealt with first.
This is very important for most of Australia where the roads have not yet been built. But our regulators live in coastal cities, so they do not know. And they do not know that they do not know.
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GA training?
CASA ought to get their facts right that they present at their safety seminars - several students were at the seminar on Monday night and the presenter had no idea what he was talking about with carby ice and nor did the majority of pilots present. A young Instructor from TVSA put him right and was only supported by his students and one " old timer". I am hoping that tonights seminar will be more useful to the 12 students I am sending along. I happen to believe most people - especially the younger ones have no idea of the dangers of fatigue, so I hope tonights presenter will get through to them.
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Students are being taught by 200 hour total time pilots whose only goal in life is to put hours in their own log book to get the bigger better job.
Why do instructors get paid so little??? because of all those @%#@ pilots out there working for free or next to nothing, again just to get those hours
How can CASA increase the training quality? How about increasing the award?
(If D.Smith is reading maybe this is a REAL subject worth your push!)
This would make instructors more valuable, therefore raising the bar.
And before you try and lecture me on being bitter, I have nothing to gain from this, I have never tried to make a living from instructing,(and phopefully never will) I live in the real world! But having an in-experienced instructor sure makes passing check flights easier!
Why do instructors get paid so little??? because of all those @%#@ pilots out there working for free or next to nothing, again just to get those hours
How can CASA increase the training quality? How about increasing the award?
(If D.Smith is reading maybe this is a REAL subject worth your push!)
This would make instructors more valuable, therefore raising the bar.
And before you try and lecture me on being bitter, I have nothing to gain from this, I have never tried to make a living from instructing,(and phopefully never will) I live in the real world! But having an in-experienced instructor sure makes passing check flights easier!
Perhaps its got something to do with a certain ASFA organisation and a few people creating jobs for themselves at the expence of GA.
I wouldn't mind seeing the rationale for the details of the proposal.
- all instructors to be individual members of ASFA and the school is a corporate member of ASFA - in addition to the assessment fee
- every flight is preceded by the same exercise flown in a simulator
- flight exercises focus on career professional skills .. will be needed in a Boeing ... as opposed to being specific to the training aircraft (few of my students want to progress beyond the Decathlon)
- the correct aerodynamic theories are taught - does that mean we do away with the hypothesis of the male and female air particles and stick strictly to the Navier-Stokes equation?
- aerodynamics relevant to Boeings is taught eg "sound barrier" - but no such barrier exists.
- I like the proposal to teach effect of wing sweep on airflow around the wing but only as far as the effect on stall characteristics.
- modern flight aids such as HUD - in my Decathlon?
- "competence in instructing to aircraft manoeuvre envelope limits is demonstrated" Good, my Decathlon is +6 and -5.
Sorry, ASFA, you've lost me with some of those details (and some of the spelling) although there is much good stuff in there. Not all schools should have to tick off every single item in that checklist to be accredited (if they wanted to). One size and shape does not fit all.
I'm sorry I left the venue early, tealady - I'd have enjoyed the debate on carb icing. It is interesting that other points above were made at the seminar also - instructor experience and salaries.
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I have to agree with turbo otter. Instructors with 200 hours, I know I was not in a position to impart much to anyone with those sort of hours. Increase the hour requirement and the award for instructors and an overall improvement in the quality of training will result I'm sure.
Keep it safe guvna's.
Keep it safe guvna's.
CASA : Compliance Has Been More Important Than Education
As usual, journos only select out the more eyecatching aspects for public consumption..
For the industry, the most significant point in CASA CEO Byrons' presentation was that he has recognised the over-emphasis on compliance within CASA.
The next most important point was that he has identified that the accidents and incidents need to be properly analysed, and , only then, should changes to training be considered.
This is not just about whether instructors are doing their job. It's easy to point to instructor inexperience, because it's self evident. There are many other causal factors.
There is much angst over accident rates in both aviation and road transport, with raw figures being quoted in the press to support calls for tighter regulation. But, were these fatalaty data to be applied against the increased numbers of licence holders, vehicles or aircraft in service, and kms driven or hours flown - then the trends might be quite different to the superficial conclusions which tend to be drawn from raw data.
I'd urge Geoffrey Thomas to delve further into these numbers, and cease quoting percentages and 10 year fatality numbers which probably don't indicate anything of the real trends.
I think we all need to encourage CASA toward reducing compliance, but fostering education - it's going to fail if we don't. Along the way, we might just encourage CASA, and the government, to emulate the US FAA's charter of fostering and growing aviation in the country.
.happy days,
As usual, journos only select out the more eyecatching aspects for public consumption..
For the industry, the most significant point in CASA CEO Byrons' presentation was that he has recognised the over-emphasis on compliance within CASA.
The next most important point was that he has identified that the accidents and incidents need to be properly analysed, and , only then, should changes to training be considered.
This is not just about whether instructors are doing their job. It's easy to point to instructor inexperience, because it's self evident. There are many other causal factors.
There is much angst over accident rates in both aviation and road transport, with raw figures being quoted in the press to support calls for tighter regulation. But, were these fatalaty data to be applied against the increased numbers of licence holders, vehicles or aircraft in service, and kms driven or hours flown - then the trends might be quite different to the superficial conclusions which tend to be drawn from raw data.
I'd urge Geoffrey Thomas to delve further into these numbers, and cease quoting percentages and 10 year fatality numbers which probably don't indicate anything of the real trends.
I think we all need to encourage CASA toward reducing compliance, but fostering education - it's going to fail if we don't. Along the way, we might just encourage CASA, and the government, to emulate the US FAA's charter of fostering and growing aviation in the country.
.happy days,
Get rid of ATOs and bring back departmental examiners.
I have heard it myself a few years ago - don't do you instrument rating test with (XYZ examiner) and he's too hard - do it with (ABC).
ATO's in flying schools are a conflict of interest.
I have heard it myself a few years ago - don't do you instrument rating test with (XYZ examiner) and he's too hard - do it with (ABC).
ATO's in flying schools are a conflict of interest.
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You're all wrong! The breathylizer has done more to lower training standards than anything else. We used to be able to have a few beers after work, compare notes and discuss the heroics of the day. Can't do that anymore and it just isn't the same over a glass of cordial.
There was always some guy around with a gazillion hours in Tiger Moths and Doves. Those characters just don't seem to be about anymore. Flight schools are saturated with young go-getters and there just seems to be far less experienced hands hanging around. In addition, the transfer of knowledge from the airlines back to GA appears to be less relevant these days.
A 747 pilot might have fond memories of GA, but knowledge transfer from a 747 to GA just doesn't quite compare to the experience transfer from a Connie to GA. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
There was always some guy around with a gazillion hours in Tiger Moths and Doves. Those characters just don't seem to be about anymore. Flight schools are saturated with young go-getters and there just seems to be far less experienced hands hanging around. In addition, the transfer of knowledge from the airlines back to GA appears to be less relevant these days.
A 747 pilot might have fond memories of GA, but knowledge transfer from a 747 to GA just doesn't quite compare to the experience transfer from a Connie to GA. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
Last edited by Lodown; 30th Apr 2004 at 21:27.
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CASA Seminars -second night
Second nights discussion on Fatigue by Dr. David Newman. David is a very astute, humourous and articulate presenter, but the message was basically drink lots of coffee and get lots of sleep. I was looking for more direction on how to get the message across to staff and students alike that fatigue is a life threatening disease and didn't get it. Perhaps we need a very in depth presentation that I am sure David could come up with over a at least a full afternoon. Mike Smith -weeeell, I find his condescending attitude annoying - of course the airspace he is advocating will be fine if every pilot has a swivel head and 360 degrees of visibility from ones aircraft and all pilots are so knowledgeable and precise with their airmanship that they don't need a radio and that none of them will always keep their old radios going so that in case of an emergency they can be used. His presentation ( or should I say style of presentation) doesn't really allow either the time (or is it the inclination?) to give proper consideration and appreciation of questions raised. Go to the seminars if you can and make your own assessment, then let your pollies know if you think they are a waste of time.
