Flight Safety Australia

8/12/2019 Flight Safety Australia

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Regulars

CONTENTSFeatures

8 Not safety first, but safety always. The first of a series of articles on SMS implementation.

21 High-flying women The Australian Women Pilots Association annual

conference & awards.

22 Mid-air collisions CASAs prevention campaign

24 Cant walk. Can fly. A former pilot achieves an Australian first .

30 Victa Airtourer feedback on May-Junes High-G manoeuvring article.

31 Ageing composite materials Richard Castles, one of CASAs senior airworthiness

engineers, looks at ageing and composites.

58 Tragedy at Coolangatta. Macarthur Job on how a loading problem led to one of

Australias worst civil aviation accidents.

64 Medical certification. Steps for renewing your medical.

2 AirMail

7 Flight Bytesaviation safety news

16 ATC Notes news from Airservices Australia

18 Accident reports International19 Accident reports Australian

31 Airworthiness pull-out section 33. SDRs

38. Directives

44 Close Call His story: nearly history A VFR into IMC close call special.

52 ATSB supplement

66 Av Quiz

71. Quiz answers

70 Calendar

ISSUE NO. 69, JULY-AUG 2009

Director of Aviation Safety CASA

ohn F. McCormick

MANAGER, SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS

& MARKETING

Gail Sambidge-Mitchell

EDITOR, FLIGHT SAFETY AUSTRALIA

Margo Marchbank

ADVERTISING SALES

P: 131 757 or E: [email protected]

CORRESPONDENCE

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Bi-monthly to 87,000 aviation licenceholders, cabin crew and industry personnel

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CONTRIBUTIONS

Stories and photos are welcome. Pleasediscuss your ideas with editorial staff before

submission. Note that CASA cannot acceptresponsibility for unsolicited material.

All efforts are made to ensure that the correctcopyright notice accompanies each publishedphotograph. If you believe any to be in error,

please notify us at [email protected]

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

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NOTICE ON ADVERTISING

Advertising appearing in Flight SafetyAustralia does not imply endorsement by

the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.Warning: This educational publication

does not replace ERSA, AIP, airworthinessregulatory documents, manufacturers

advice, or NOTAMs. Operationalinformation in Flight Safety Australia

hould only be used in conjunction with

current operational documents.

Information contained herein is subjectto change. The views expressed in this

ublication are those of the authors, and donot necessarily represent the views of the

Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Copyright 2009, Civil Aviation SafetyAuthority Australia.

Copyright for the ATSB and ATC supplementsrests with the ATSB and Airservices

Australia respectively these supplementsare written, edited and designed

independently of CASA. All requestsor permission to reproduce any articlesshould be directed to FSA editorial (see

correspondence details above).

RegisteredPrint Post: 381667-00644.

ISSN 1325-5002.

OVER:Photo ra h CurtisMorton


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AX R ER WR TE NTIN INTHE DISCUSSION OF THE REAL FIRST

MAN MMER IAL PIL

In the interests of all contenders for the title, I enclose a

copy of the page from the Department of Civil Aviations

own register, with the REAL first woman commercial pilot

of Australia, Phyllis Arnott. Amy Johnson was granted no.

1, but the first Australian was Phyllis Arnott. Keep up the

excellent work.Flight Safetyis a highly readable and well-

presented publication.

ANTA PIL T, ALEX AMP , EMAILEDNFIRMIN THI

P y is Arnott (my great aunt) gaine er commercia

licence on 28th February 1931, and was therefore the first

Austra ian woman to gain a commercia pi ots icence.Qantas named an A380 after her at a recent ceremony.

ED: thanks to these readers who corrected the record I thinkthat su jects settle .

Keep those emails an letters coming in. We value your

feedback, and while selfishly perhaps, its nice to have the

positive ouquets, we nee the rick ats too, so that we can

continue to improve the magazine.


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R PEAN PIL T EXPRE DEEPE T

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Following the tragic loss of an Air France Airbus 330-

200 on I June 2009, en route from Rio de Janeiro to

Paris, the European Cockpit Association (ECA) offered

on behalf of all 38,000 plus professional pilot colleagues

rom 36 country mem er associations, t eir eepest

sympathies and heartfelt condolences on the loss of

friends, colleagues and passengers on board flight

AF447.

In such unusual circumstances, and given the normally

exemplary safety record of both this aircraft and the

airline; ECA President Martin Chalk said: Our hearts

an t oug ts are wit t ose a ecte y t is isaster.

In their name and in the name of every pilot, crewmember and passenger of the future we urge the

press, politicians and public to support the official safety

investigators and allow the time, resources and patience

or a compre ensive ICAO annex 13 investigation. T is

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the necessary answers for those who have suffered the

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FFLED FEATHERVER TRASH DEPOT NEAR

AIRPORT

Critics say a planned site near New

Yorks LaGuardia Airport would act asa bird magnet. About 700 yards from

the end of a LaGuardia Airport runway,

where thousands of planes take off

and land, New York officials want to

ui w at cou e t e equiva ent o

a bird magnet: a very large garbage

transfer station just four months

after a run-in with birds sent a jet

full of people into the Hudson River

separating New York and New Jersey.

Thats just insane, said Jeff Skiles, co-

pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, whichditched in the water Jan. 15. We have

a lot of difficulty keeping birds away

rom airports as it is.

T e city an t e Fe era Aviation

Administration insist that the 2,000

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The Associated Press Online @ MSNBC.

com 6:55 a.m. ET May 26, 2009

AFETY UE TI NNAIREFOR AOC HOLDERS

In late July, AOC holders with

passenger-carrying permissions wi

be required to complete CASAs safety

questionnaire covering their activities

or t e rst a o 2009.

The July survey is shorter and simpler

than Februarys CASA anticipates

that the survey should take AOC

holders who have maintained ongoingata o t eir activities on y a out 15

minutes to complete.

CASAs collection of such detailed and

accurate operationa ata is vita to

enable us to prioritise safety oversight

activities, assess industry risks and

provide targeted safety support. AOC

holders will receive further information

e ore t e survey egins.

NEW T P N

he Pentagon is preparing to graduate its

first unmanned drone (UAV) pilots from

the elite US Air Force Weapons School

a version of the Navys Top Gun program in a bid to elevate the skills and status

of officers who fly Predators, one of the

militarys fastest growing programs.

Over t e course o t e wars in Iraq

and Afghanistan, the MQ-1 Predator,

an more eavi y-arme MQ-9 Reaper

ave ecome, to many peope in t e

Pentagon, the most important aircraft

t e US as ep oye .

Giving top drone pilots a shot at the best

training the military offers is one way to

ensure t e most ta ente o cers staywith the program and do not return to

manned aircraft. The advanced training

was first proposed three years ago, and

rejected, but now with 127 Predators,

31 Reapers and 400 unmanned aircraft,

the Air Force was given the go-ahead to

create the program.

Los Angeles Times reprinted in

Can erra Times 9 June 2009


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Regular public transport operators are

undergoing a transition to the proposed

CASR Part 119, which will mandate safety

management systems for passenger

transport services using aeroplanes or

rotorcraft, and some categories of cargo

transport. It is envisaged that this willincorporate therefore not only Australias

current 48 high and low-capacity regular

public transport (RPT) operators, but will

also include some additional 400 charter

operators. Flight Safetyeditor, Margo

Marchbank, in the first of a series of articles

on SMS implementation, gives an overview.

I dont believe in safety first, but safety

always, says CEO of Toll Aviation, Trevor

Jensen. If you say safety first, then its very

easy to say, OK, weve considered safety,

now we can get on with the job. Whereas,

if safety always is the culture, then you

dont move away from it. Toll Aviation is

one of three pilot organisations working

closely with CASA on the implementation

of safety management systems (SMS) inthe transition to Part 119. SMS have been

on the radar for over ten years, and many

proactive RPT operators, recognising that

they are a critical part of doing business,

already have robust SMS in place. Theyve

een man atory or certi e aero romes

since January 2007, an aero romes wit

internationa ig ts even ear ier, since

2005. (Furt er in t is artic e, t ere are case

stu ies o two very i erent aero rome

SMS experiences. See page 12.)

NOT SAFETY FIRST,

BUT SAFETY ALWAYS

Photo:MargoMarc

hbank


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Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Safety Policy, Objectives and Planning

Management commitment & responsibility

Safety accountabilities of managers

Appointment of key safety personnel

SMS implementation plan

Gap analysis

Documentation

Third party interface

Coordination of the emergency response plan

Safety Risk Management

Risk assesment & mitigation process eact ve roact ve pre ct ve

Hazard identification process Proactive/predictive/hazard

identification

Safety Assurance

Safety performance monitoring & measurement Reactive - incident & accident

estigation

Internal safety investigation

The management of change

Continuous improvement of the safety system

Safety Training & Promotion

Training & education ey personnel ll safety critical personne All safety critical personnel

Safety communication

SMS IMPLEMENTATION PHASES 2009-2011

T ere are our major components to t e require SMS:

Safety policy, objectives & planning

Safety risk management

Safety assurance, and

Safety training and promotion.

As part of the phased implementation of CASR Part 119, CAO 82.5

(HCRPT) an CAO 82.3 (LCRPT) were man ate in January 2009,

requiring operators to implement an SMS according to a staggered

timeline. These phases are depicted below.

To Aviation as a eet o 12 aircra t: two Frenc ATR 42s; 10 Metros (eig t

3s and two 23s); and three 737s contracted from Airwork NZ. And, on any

one day, they may also contract up to 50 aircraft. The company employs

115 people: 38 pilots (ten on the ATRs and the rest on the Metros); 42

engineers; 12 groun sta ; an t e remaining 23 in nance an a min.

Although Toll is not a CAO 82.3 or 82.5 operator, they have chosen toimp ement an SMS meeting t e stan ar s an time rames associate

with HCRPT operation. Their Metro operation is based around a number

of bank runs to centres such as Cairns, Townsville, Mt Isa, Moree,

Coolangatta and Mackay. Then there are the freight services one ATR

ies out o Bris ane to Ban stown, Me ourne

and Adelaide, while the other does the reverse

leg Adelaide to Brisbane, at the same time. The

Metros a so y t e A e ai e to Me ourne route.

Trevor explains that their Monday to Friday

roster appeals to many pilots for whom no

flying on weekends is a lifestyle choice. He

is very much aware of the competition Toll

faces from the major airlines, in attracting and

retaining pilots. The minute the major airlines

want pilots, we lose them, he explains, with

up to a 50 per cent turnover in the good times,

so part of the companys risk assessment is the

pressure this places on maintaining standards.

However, the current economic downturn has

a positive side decreased airline recruitment

has meant less workforce attrition. The

downturn has given us time to put our SMS in

place with a stable workforce, he says.


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T e timing is a so rig t or t eir SMS

for another reason. Toll Aviation arose

from three companies: Jetline, Jetcraft

and Jetcare, which have been aligned

into the one organisation over the

past 12 months. This consolidation

provi e a goo opportunity, Trevor

Jensen says, to work with CASA

on examining Tolls systems very

closely, as a prelude to establishing

an integrated SMS for the new

entity. An important first step

was a thorough gap analysis.

Safety doesnt have to cost

money, Trevor explains, so Toll

use Survey Monkey (a simpe

tool for designing surveys

online, with the capacity to

then analyse the data), to

survey their pilots, engineers

and ground staff to see how

we as a group see ourse ves.

Im not a salesman for

Survey Monkey, but its a

great tool which costs you

nothing. In a short time

we were able to come up

wit resuts oo ing atour compliance. This

analysis was revealing,

revor says. If you take

level 10 to be the level

we want to e or ICAO stan ar s (Internationa

Civil Aviation Organization), then for most items

we were overing aroun six, ut on azar

identification, it was three out of 10.

He says that by conducting the survey andanalysing its results, they were able to be

more realistic. If we had asked ourselves, for

example, Do we have a hazard identification

system? we probably would have said,

Yes. But now, rather than just ticking the

boxes, digging deeper has identified the

wea nesses, so we now w ere weve got

to put our effort in. The process took Toll

Aviation t ree mont s, ut Trevor says, it

gives us a very onest assessment o our

SMS readiness.

Having this data has also helped in convincing

the corporate group of the need to resource

safety management within the company

training, IT systems and so on. You can never

win an argument on emotion, but good data

can help you win.

Trevor and his team have now assessed all

the required elements, and established a

list of the tasks needed to put their SMS in

place, with the tasks allocated in a schedule

for phases 1, 2 and 3 of implementation. As

they write their manual, they can sign off on

eac o t ese tas s. To is a so part o t e pi ot

group tria ing t e new on ine SMS manua

authoring and assessment tool (MAAT).

W en Flight Sa ety visite t e company

headquarters in Brisbane, Trevor was about to

sit down with the CASA SMS project team to

begin populating the manual builder online.

In conclusion,Flight Safetyasked him what he

felt were the key points of an SMS. Keep itsimple; safety has to be pragmatic, he replies.

Its not about having big manuals your SMS

documentation should reflect how you do

your business. Make sure it reflects what you

do. And in training and communicating about

safety, make sure the way you do it suits the

au ience. T eres no point in aving pages

o instruction, wit t e intent in t e mi e

of the document, if the guys dont want to

rea nine pages. We ave to un erstan our

audience a lot better, he says.

The

minutethe

major

airlineswant

pilots,

welose

them,


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The whole system is electronically based, andwith hyperlinks to the regulations, there is

always access to the source document (e.g. the

CASA, EPA or WorkCover websites). Clicking

on the link therefore takes you straight to

the most recent version. Every activity they

undertake has a safe work method statement

and risk assessment that identifies hazards in

relation, not only to the activity, but the area

of operation, which may vary from day to

ay. Were in t e ear y stages o tria ing a

new system, using a PDA B ac erry, so t at

you can own oa ocumentation w en youcome back into the office. Or, in the case of

one of our pilots who may be flying outback,

he can obtain remote access to our server

24/7, Geoff explains.

He estimates that the initial certification

process, involving five months of manpower

and downtime cost EPS about $50,000; with

ongoing audit costs (around $12,000 annually)

an annua registration ees or t e t ree

certifications of another $12,000. But Geoff

argues, It wasnt too long ago that the only

EPS HELICOPTER SERVICESAccording to principal, Geoff Sprod, EPS helicopters are confident that

whatever SMS standards CASA introduces in the near future for charter

operators, they will be ready. On their website, Bankstown-based EPS

He icopter Services Pty Lt state t eir mission is: to provi e a sa e,

e cient, cost e ective e icopter management service in support o

our clients strategies and objectives. It was this desire to maintain

an ongoing emphasis on safety, and to establish a point of difference

with competitors, which led Geoff and chief pilot, Paul Caristo, to

implement a quality assurance system.

EPS Helicopter Services own two helicopters, a Bell 206BIII Jetranger,

and their latest acquisition, a Eurocopter AS350SD2. They conduct

charter and aerial work activities that include pipeline and power line

surveys, banner towing, sling loads, fire fighting and parachuting for

promotiona events, to name a ew.

In 2007, Paul was about a third of the way into putting the new companys

operations manual together, Geoff explains, when the pair decided,

Lets eve op a u y integrate management system t at wou rive

the business, rather than simply having an SMS. Recognising that the

helicopter world is a highly-competitive market, and that the business

would benefit from the security of ongoing contracts, they decided to

embark on securing SAI Global ISO certification. Ask any Joe on the

street, an t ey now w at t e sym o s mean, Geo exp ains, t efive coloured ticks are the most recognisable QA symbols anywhere.

So EPS opted to undertake not only quality assurance (QA) (ISO 9001),

certification, but also environment (ISO 14001) and OH&S (AS 4801).

Their five months of developing policies and procedures covering all

aspects of the business, including safe work method statements, risk

registers, risk assessments, staff training and induction, paid off. After

rectifying minor areas during the pre-audit check, they passed their

audit in October 2007, gaining their triple SAI Global certification. This

certi cation process ensures t e system continua y evo ves wit t e

usiness towar s est practice, an is reviewe wit ongoing au its to

maintain certification.

www.eps e i.com.au omepage


14/76

t ing t at mattere was t e our y rate. Over

the past two years we have seen a change in

tender requirements, and acknowledgement

that tenderers have some form of quality,

OH&S an environmenta po icies an

procedures in place. And more recently, you

not only have to provide evidence of such

systems, but also any external certification.

Anyone who chooses not to go down this

roa soon wi e e in t e competition.

For EPS the additional certification brought

direct commercial benefit: a few months after

certification, EPS secured

a government contract, competing against ot er major operators.

While price accounted for a percentage, other factors such as quality

and environment were an issue. Their success, Geoff says, could be

attributed to the fact that EPS was the only operator with a certified

system w ic covere a t ree aspects, giving t em a ig score in

that component of the tender.

Over t e next coup e o years Geo e ieves t e re iance on provi ing

evidence of a safety management system will increase significantly.

A itiona y, a ar greater emp asis wi e p ace on a companys

SMS as a measurement of their performance, rather than simply on

their price.

SMS & AERODROMESJust as t e current SMS P ase 1, 2 & 3 requirements

are a transition to CASR Part 119 SMS requirements

for Australian aerodrome operators followed a similar

transition. CASR Part 139 (sa ety stan ar s or

Australian aerodromes) came into effect in May 2003,

with a 1 Novem er 2005 ea line for aero romes

with international operators; and 1 January 2007

deadline for all other certified aerodromes. Keith

Tonkin, of Aviation Projects, outlines case studies o

two very different aerodromes which implementednew SMS.

NORTHERN PENINSULAAIRPORT (YNPE)

BACKGROUND

Northern Peninsula Airport (NPA, formerly Bamaga/

Injinoo Airport) is located on the northern tip of Cape

York Peninsula in far North Queensland. Like many

remote communities, the five Aboriginal and Islandercommunities o t e Nort ern Peninsu a area re y

heavily on air transport for access to medical and other

essentia support services. T e airport is t ere ore a

critical element of community infrastructure.

To provide for an expected increase in operator

capability, the airport was prepared for certification

in late 2007, and received its aerodrome certificate

early in 2008. A critical condition of certification was

assurance y t e Nort ern Peninsu a Area Regiona

Counci , w ic manage t e airport, t at t ey wou

provide adequate resources and funding so that the

aerodrome would meet regulatory requirements.

Not only did the SMS satisfy one of the requirements

for certification, but importantly, it was a way of

being proactive by identifying existing and potential

issues and the resources and management actions to

address them.

SMS DEVELOPMENT

The airport management had limited knowledge of

how to develop and implement an SMS. So after first

oo ing at t e princip es an met o o ogy o an SMS

in t e CASA- eve ope SMS temp ate, t ey participate

in a workshop to identify risks to the safe operation of

t e airport. T ese ris s an t eir associate treatments

were documented in a risk register and treatment plan,

in MS Excel format. By using Excel, which is readily

available, local airport management staff could view,

manage and manipulate the register document easily.


15/76

Some of the issues identified in the development of theSMS, an actions ta en to recti y t em are as o ows:

1. Emergency callout Limitations because of fixed-

ine and mobile phones meant that the airport

manager (who also does the refuelling) was not

always contactable for callout by emergency

services such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service

(RFDS). A satellite phone was therefore provided

to t e airport manager.

2. Frequency confirmation Although a Unicom

service was available, limitations associated with

sta avai a i ity an ra io equipment, as weas significant frequency congestion on the large

CTAF(R) shared with nearby Horn Island Airport

and other airports in the Torres Strait, led to the

ecision to establish Northern Peninsula Airport

as a separate CTAF(R) and to install a combined

AFRU/PAALC. This process will be concluded with

t e August 2009 amen ment o ERSA.

D-H R NF RE EEN RI K

As wit any aviation activity, espite t e intention

to proactively manage safety risks, unforeseen risks

requiring reactive management action occur from

time to time. Some incidents which occurred at NPA,

and how these were managed to minimise future

risks are as follows:

1. Near miss A light a ircraft landed short

of the runway while conducting a circuit to

and, due to failure of the throttle cable. The

subsequent emergency response revealed

some opportunities or improvement in re ation

to call out procedures, telecommunications

systems and response vehicle capabilities. The

airport manager reporte t ese issues, w ic

were discussed with airport management

an other stakehol ers for consi eration an

implementation. Results were recorded in the

ris register an treatment p an.

2. Pavement ai ure groun water in tration o t e

runway pavement required urgent repairs to be

carried out at short notice. This required closure

o t e airport or a num er o ays on severa

occasions, with implications to RPT operators,

emergency services etc. A full engineering designo pavement repairs & a itiona rainage was

commissioned immediately. The pavement repairs

were carried out in accordance with the engineering

designs provided. The results of these activities were

recor e in t e ris register an treatment p an.

Further drainage & runway pavement upgrades are

scheduled when funds are available.

STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION

All of the above issues required engagement with

sta e o ers to ensure t at t ey un erstoo an

accepted the risk treatments being implemented,

and that an acceptable level of safety would be

maintaine . T ese sta e o ers inc u e aircra t

operators and agents, council staff, local community

mem ers, regu atory aut orities, supp iers an

customers.

Sometimes change can bring about unintended

consequences, so during the development of

risk treatments, stakeholders were asked for

t eir input regar ing potentia impacts to t eir

activities, including operational implications,

amended procedures, most appropriate means ocommunication etc.

Stakeholders received information concerning the

treatment actions w ic a een etermine ,

through email broadcasts to user groups, newspaper

articles, telephone, fax, industry publications and

newsletters, NOTAMs as well as AIP/ERSA and other

in ormation sources.

SMS ONGOING MANAGEMENT

Airport management accepts that risks need to be

managed proactively. They organise meetings of

t e SMS sa ety committee every six mont s or so to

review the SMS and the risk register and treatment

plan, so that planned actions to treat known risks

happen; potential risks are identified and actions put

in place to treat them.

T e meeting a so ta es an consi ers reports an

information from the previous period relevant to the

SMS, suc as a - oc reports or ot er in ormation;

and safety/technical inspection reports.

...itwasawayofbeingproactiveby

identifying

existingandpotentialissuesandthere

sources

andmanagementactionstoaddressthe

m.


16/76

SAFETY CULTURE

Increased regulatory obligations as a certifiedairport under CASR 139, as well as status as a

security-controlled airport under transport security

regulations meant the community had to reconsider

its approach to the airport. Improved maintenance

of infrastructure and services, restrictions to access,

more rigorous operational procedures and increased

management invo vement a so require a prioritisation

of funding and human resources, so the airport

management met its regu atory requirements.

SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT(YBMC)

A K R UN

Sunshine Coast Airport (SCA), owned and operated

by Sunshine Coast Regional Council, is Australias

twelfth-largest airport by passenger numbers. It

supports jet RPT services operate y Jetstar, Tiger

and Virgin Blue; numerous fixed and rotary wing

training organisations, including Singapore Flying

Co ege; as we as aircra t maintenance an support

operations. It is a security-controlled airport with

screening requirements.

Sunshine Coast Airport is better resourced than

Northern Peninsula Airport, but has its own unique

issues ecause o its muc greater scope an sca e

of operations, and its correspondingly more

compex comp iance an reporting requirements.

It is also approaching limitations in operational

capacity roug t a out y an unanticipate increase

in passenger numbers and the type of operations

conducted at the airport.

INTEGRATION WITH OTHER RISK-

BA ED MANA EMENT PR RAM

Because o t e increase scope, sca e an comp exity

of activities it conducts and supports, Sunshine Coast

Airport manages a num er o ris - ase comp iance

programs in addition to the SMS. These include

an environment management plan, a security ris

management plan (part of the Transport Security

Program), a workplace health and safety program

an an asset management program.

As well as these statutory requirements, all significant

projects undertaken at the airport involve a proactive

orma ris management component.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council also requires all

significant risks (including business continuity, financial

and legal liability issues) to be managed as an outcome

of the airports annual performance plan.

Managing these separate programs creates a

signi cant issue. T ey o not a ave t e same ris

criterialikelihood and consequence descriptors, risk

matrix, management an reporting actions require ,

level of acceptable risk etc. This disparity makes

allocating resources effectively

Photo: courtesy Sunshine Coast Airport


17/76


18/76


19/76

ManageSARTIMEsand help us to help youYou can also nominate, modiy and cancel a SARIME by radio -

i the other preerred methods are not available. Be mindul that

when using VHF there may be delays i AC are experiencing busy

periods. I using HF, reception can ofen vary and you may need to

repeat your details several times.

SARIMEs do not have to be held by AusFIC. Any responsibleperson nominated by you a spouse, trusted riend, your company

or ying school can hold your SARIME. It is important to

ensure the person you nominate has a description o the aircraf you

are ying, is amiliar w ith the details o your ight and has all your

relevant contact details. Tey must be able to provide emergency

services with accurate inormation i needed.

I a SARIME held by an AS unit is not cancelled by the

nominated time, attempts will be made to contact you. I these

communications ail, an emergency Uncertainty Phase will

be declared.

AusSAR will be notied o the expired SARIME and wi ll take over

responsibility or the response. AusSAR has extensive resourcesand the expertise to locate you and conrm your sae arrival or to

initiate emergency assistance.

When cancelling your SARIME use the correct phraseology.

Always use the phrase cancel SARIME (as per AIP GEN .-

..). Other phrases such as cancel SAR do not adequately

distinguish VFR and IFR ights and may cause conusion.

Remember at the end o your ight to ask yoursel Have

I cancelled my SARIME?

For urther inormation about SARIME management contact

Fiona Lawton at [email protected]

Managing Search and Rescue (SAR) times and cancelling

them at the end o a sae ight is a critical responsibility o

pilots in command.

It ensures that Air raffic Services (AS) and emergency response

authorities such as AusSAR (Australian Search and Rescue) or the

police know that youve arrived saely. It also prevents Airservicesinitiating unnecessary search and rescue activities a highly

resource intensive, and at times costly, process.

When nominating your SARIME ensure it is long enough to

cover the duration o your ight including the time you may need

to access suitable communication acilities to cancel it. Consider

nominating an end o ying day SARIME, rather than one or each

stage o a multi-stage ight. Having too many SARIMEs in the

system can get conusing or all operators pilots included.

When planning a ight that does not enter controlled airspace

ensure you give AS inormation about:

the aircraf ca llsign or identication

aircraf type

departure point

destination

number o persons onboard

a nominated SARIME.

Te best way to notiy, change and cancel a SARIME held by

Airservices is by telephoning Airservices Flight Inormation Centre

(AusFIC) on (as per AIP ENR .- ..).

You can also lodge your SARIME over the Internet. I lodging

your SARIME this way, make sure you telephone the Brieng

Office to conrm that your SARIME has been received.


20/76

International Accidents Incidents 06 April 2009 - 30 May 2009

Australian Accidents/Incidents 1 April - 29 May 2009

Aircraft Location Fatalities Damage Description

06-April Fokker F-27Friendship 400M

Bandung-HuseinSastranegara Apt,Indonesia

24 Written off The Fokker F-27 was returning from a parachuting exercise. Onlanding the aircraft contacted a hangar near the runway 29 thresholdand there was a 20-knot crosswind at the time of the accident.

09-April British AerospaceBae-146-30

amena, Indonesia Destroyed On approach to runway 15 the Bae-146-300 entered cloud andstruck the side of Gunung Pike Mountain bursting into flames.

17-April Cessna 208B Grandaravan

Canaima Airport,enezuela

Written off The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed shortly after leavinganaima due to an engine failure.

19-April Boeing 737-800 Montego Bay-SangsterInternational Airport,Jamaica

0 None After the Boeing 737-800 landed a Jamaican man burst onto theplane, brandishing a gun. He wanted to leave the country & firedthe gun once through the open cabin door. Flight attendantsmanaged to negotiate the early release o all 174 passengersan two crew mem ers. tary po ce came an t e ac erwas arreste .

26-April Douglas DC-3C San Juan-Luis MuozMarn Apt, Puerto Rico

0 Writ ten of f During taxi, the Douglas DC-3C had fire in the cockpit. The crewand cargo loader evacuated.

27-April Boeing 737-2 K9 Guadalajara-DonMiguel Hidalgo y

ostilla Apt, Mexico

0 Substantial The crew of the Boeing 737 selected the undercarriage down onnals to Guadalajara but did not get a down and locked indication.

They performed a fly past and the tower controllers confirmedthat the undercarriage was not fully down and locked. The flightcrew carried out a belly landing on runway 28.

29-April Boeing 737-275 Massamba, Bandundu

rovince, Congo

7 Written off A Boeing 737 was destroyed during an accident near Massamba

Village, Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.30-April Antonov 2 Written off The Antonov 2 made 3 attempts to land in poor weather

condition including heavy snow and hit power lines.

08-May Tupolev 154M Mashad Airport, Iran 0 Substantial The Tupolev 154M encountered bad weather. The aircraftuselage sustained 1.8G acceleration forces and was struck by

hail stones. The flight diverted to Mashad and landed normally.The fuselage sustained substantial damage.

08-May McDonnell DouglasMD-90-30

Riyadh-King KhalidInternational Airport,Saudi Arabia

Substantial The MD-90-30 landed on the runway veered off and the righthand main gear collapsed.

10-MayBritish Aerospace3201 Jetstream 32

Utila Airport, Honduras 1 Written offAuthorities found and confiscated 1500kgs of cocaine on boardthe aircraft. Reportedly the aircraft ran out of fuel in rainyweather and attempted a forced landing.

20-MayLockheed C-130H

Hercules

near Madiun-Iswahyudi

Airport, IndonesiaWritten off

The C-130H Hercules was on approach when it hit four houses,killing the occupants of one house. It then skidded into a riceeld, and burst into flames on impact.

26-May Antonov 26siro-Matari Airport,Congo DemocraticRepublic

Written offThe Antonov 26 was destroyed when it crashed on approach.The three flight crew members received fatal injuries.

30-May -42-a ore rport,

PakistanSubstantial

e -42 was su stant a y amage w en t e nose gearand main undercarriage collapsed. It ran off the runway, skidded2 000ft and across a drainage ditch.

Notes: compiled from information supplied by the Aviation Safety Network (see www. aviation-safety.net/database/) and reproduced with permission. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy,neither the Aviation Safety Network nor Flight Safety Australia make any representations about its accuracy, as information is based on preliminary reports only. For further information refer to final reportsof the relevant official aircraft accident investigation organisation. Information on injuries is unavailable.

Date Aircraft Location Injuries Damage Description01-Apr obinson R22 Beta Murwillumbah (ALA),

NSWSerious The crew were practising forced landings.The helicopter sank in

the final stages of the autorotation - the main rotor blade struckthe tail boom.

01-Apr Cessna 152 Maryborough (Vic)Aerodrome, VIC

Serious ue to an unstable approach, the aircraft ballooned on flareoutand subsequently landed hard on runway 35. The aircraft

ounce tw ce nose own, co aps ng t e nose an ng gear.

02-Apr o nson 22 eta roserp neWhitsunday CoastAerodrome, QLD

Serious Serious t was reporte t at t e e copter co e w t t e runway.e two occupants susta ne n ur es. e nvest gat on s

cont nu ng.

07-Apr Boeing 737-7Q8 TownsvilleAerodrome, QLD

Serious Nil As the rear cabin door was closed, the airstairs were removedfrom the aircraft. A ground crew member, closing the door atthe time, fell through the gap between the airstairs and theaircraft, and was seriously injured.

09-Apr Yakovlev Yak-52 Albury Aerodrome,NSW

Serious Nil The aircraf ts engine stopped soon af ter star tup. The pilot lef tthe cockpit to swing the propeller but left the magnetos on.As the pilot touched the propeller, the engine started and thepropeller struck the pilot on the right hand, the right arm andthe right leg. The pilot was seriously injured.


21/76

11-Apr Grob G-115B arafield Aerodrome,SA

Serious he aircraft bounced and floated on touchdown. The pilotincreased power and retracted the flaps for a go-around, but theaircraft banked to the left and impacted the runway. The aircraftslid off the runway to the left and came to rest on a taxiway.

12-Apr per -25-235 1awnee

ena a ero rome,VIC

nor Serious During the landing roll, the aircrafts left main landing gear tyreburst. The left wing tip and propeller struck the ground, and theaircraft flipped, sustaining serious damage.

14-Apr Piper PA-31-350Chieftain

Dalby (ALA), QLD Nil Serious After selecting landing gear down, the left main landing gearwould not extend. The pilot diverted the aircraft to Oakey where amanual gear extension also failed. After orbiting to burn fuel, thepilot conducted a wheels-up landing.

15-Apr ippsland (GA-8)eronautics Airvan

ape Barren IslandALA), TA

Nil erious hile taxiing for departure in windy conditions, the pilot lostcontrol of the aircraft which flipped over.

16-Apr per -18-150Super Cub

arooc y oreSunshine CoastAerodrome, 153 M22Km, QLD

nor Serious During banner towing, the aircrafts engine failed and the pilotconducted a forced landing onto a beach. During the landing roll,the aircraft nosed over at the waterline.

20-Apr Robinson R44 IIRaven

Edenhope (ALA), 220T 27Km, VIC

Fatal Serious It was reported that the helicopter struck powerlines and collidedwith the ground. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The investigationis continuing.

22-Apr ell 206B Jetranger ynyard Aerodrome,91 M 30Km, TA

Nil erious fter takeoff, the helicopter was turned downwind and losttail rotor authority. The helicopter descended from 30 ft A Land landed heavily. The tail boom was broken and the skidssustained damage.

23-Apr Robinson R22 El Questro (ALA), NNEM 70Km, WA

Nil Serious During mustering, and while hovering above water, the tail rotorlost effectiveness and the helicopter impacted the water rightside down. The helicopter was destroyed.

01-May Cessna 182R Skylane Hayes Creek (ALA),SW M 9Km (DouglasStation), NT

Minor Serious During takeoff from a station road, the aircraft did not acceleratenormally due to the left wheel dragging in long grass. Afterbecoming airborne, the aircraft began veering left uncontrollably.The pilot landed the aircraft but was unable to stop the aircraftbefore it struck trees.

02-May mateur- u t ornetSTOL

ormantonero rome,

50Km, QLD

nor erious s the aircraf t climbed through 250 f t af ter takeof f, the aircraf tencountere w n s ear an ost arspee . e p ot turne r g tto return for landing, but the aircraft stalled and hit the ground.he two occupants suf fered minor injuries.

03-May Bell 47G-3B1 Rolleston (ALA), 180

M 2Km, QLD

Minor Serious As the helicopter climbed through 150 ft AGL at 40 kts, the pilot

felt a bounce, lowered the collective then heard a loud bang.The engine began racing, so the pilot reduced power and carriedout a forced landing. The helicopter landed heavily and the mainrotor severed the tailboom.

04-May essna 172Rutlass

ockhamptonerodrome, W M5Km, LD

Nil erious he aircraft touched down half-way along the runway strip,over-ran it and collided with a barbed wire fence, resulting inserious damage.

05-May o nson 22 e ta Halls Creekero rome,

50 m,

ata Serious t was reporte t at two e copters co e w e muster ng.e nvest gat on s cont nung.

07-May Beech 58 Baron near Garden PointAerodrome, NT

Nil Serious When the landing gear was selected down, it failed to extend.The pilot subsequently diverted to Darwin and conducted awheels-up landing.

07-May essna 210N

enturion

roote Eylandt

erodrome, 225 M9Km, NT

Nil erious During the approach to runway 10, the aircrafts engine failed and

the pilot force-landed on mud flats.

14-May Cessna 172RSkyhawk

an a ot ero rome, Serious During the landing on runway 24L, the aircra t bounced threetimes before the student pilot took off. After the subsequentlanding, it was found that the propeller had struck the runwayand the nose landing gear tyre had burst.

19-May Cessna R182 SkylaneRG

Canberra Aerodrome,ACT

Nil Serious While on downwind for runway 12, the nose landing gear wheeldetached from the aircraft. The aircraf t landed on the mainlanding gear and nose gear strut. The aircrafts propeller struckthe runway and damage was caused to the nose leg forks andnose gear door.

23-May per -30 w nomanche

Cessnock ALA , NS erious he pilot did not complete the short final checks and landed theaircraft with the landing gear retracted.

29-May Cessna 152 Moorabbin Aerodrome,

VIC

Nil Serious During a touch-and-go landing on runway 13L, the pilot over-

corrected the aircraft after encountering crosswind and theaircraft ran off the runway, coming to rest in a ditch.

Text courtesy of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). Disclaimer information on accidents is the result of a co-operative effort between the ATSB and the Australian aviation industry. Dataquality and consistency depend on the efforts of industry where no follow-up action is undertaken by the ATSB. The ATSB accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person or corporation resultingfrom the use of these data. Please note that descriptions are based on preliminary reports, and should not be interpreted as findings by the ATSB. The data do not include sports aviation accidents.


22/76

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Then go to CASAs homepage:Click on education/seminars on the

home page drop-down menu.

Like to attend one of CASAs AvSafety seminars?


23/76

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Cozart has a highly advanced reader which removes user error or

bias through accurate analysis and recording of results. Processing

five drug classes in only five minutes, Cozart significantly reduces

workforce downtime. All tests are fully supervised, decreasing

any chances of tampering and adulteration. Australian police trust

the accuracy and robustness of Cozart and currently use this

technnology across five states. Cozart is also being utilised by CASA

as part of their random testing program.

For more information, email [email protected] or

telephone 1300 368 378.

Cozart saliva drug testing

Innovation for generations.

ac groun at a , Am er says. I t in t e act t at I new itt e in

the first place about aviation has helped if I had known about the

huge cost and the demands of the study involved, I may have been put

off. The Sir Donald Anderson Award Based on examination results,

the first prize is $3,000, with the winners of second and third place

receiving $2,000 and $1,000.

Amber has had some extra motivation to do well. My partner Michael

and I have studied together for our exams over the years, so there has

een some ea t y competition.

We met w en stu ying to comp ete a Bac e ors Degree in Science

(Aviation) at Edith Cowan University. For the past two years Amber has

worked for Skippers Aviation and Michael as a flight instructor for China

Southern at its flying college in Western Australia. They have both just

accepted positions at China Southern as Metro 23 first officers.

CASA sponsors a num er o aviation in ustry

organisations, and as part of this program,

CASA representatives recently attended the

Australian Women Pilots Association annual

conference in Port Lincoln, South Australia.

Aviation safety advisor for South Australia,

Mal Wardrop, presented a number of AvSafety

seminars to conference participants, and

Tanya Rush presented the CASA-sponsored

Sir Donald Anderson Award for 2009 at the

awards dinner.

T is awar recognises outstan ing aca emic

achievement in professional aviation studies

y a ema e trainee pi ot, an is name in

honour of the late Sir Donald Anderson, who

made a significant contribution to aviation in

Austra ia, Tanya Rus exp aine .

Winner of the award was Amber Lee Grech.

I actually dont come from an aviation

High-flyingwomen

Amber accepts her award fromCASAs Tanya Rush

CASA AvSafety Advisor, Mal Wardropaddresses conference delegates

By Jessica Beange


24/76

In the 35 years leading up to 2003, there wasan average of one mid-air collision per year.

However, since December 2007 there have

been seven mid-air collisions, resulting in nine

fatalities. This is a concerning increase.

he majority of mid-air collisions occurred in the circuit area. Additionally,

there have been a number of near misses at busy aerodromes.

Detailed are some key safety factors and practical recommendations

to assist pilots in avoiding mid-air collisions. This list is notexhaustive, nor are these recommendations the only factors a pilot

should consider.

Situational awareness

Maintaining situational awareness can save your life

know what is going on around you

predict what could happen.

High cockpit workload is a significant factor in a pilot losing situational

awareness. Hig tra c ensity, ra io congestion, instructiona ig ts

and inexperience can increase cockpit workload.

Make sure you:

prepare and plan your flight

prioritise your tasks and remain alert

listen for other radio calls to identify other aircraft positions

consider re-scheduling if traffic density or radio congestion increase

to an uncom orta e eve .

You nee eig tene situationa awareness uring iverse an

complex circuit operations at busy aerodromes. Infringement of

opposite circuit ig t pat s uring contra circuit operations an

management of different aircraft speeds and performance in the circuit

are especially important factors.

To minimise these risks, you should:remain clear of the opposite circuit, dont

drift after takeoff and dont overshoot

turning onto finals

maintain an active lookout for traffic in the

other circuit

familiarise yourself with the speed and

performance of other aircraft.

Lookout

The first and last line of defence

An e ective oo out is essentia a ways

assume that you are not alone. See and

avoi princip es are common y use , ut

have limitations. Alerted see and avoid can

e more e ective, ut is not a ways possi e.

Most mi -air collisions occur when one aircraft

collides with another from behind, or both

aircraft converge from a similar direction.

You should:

maintain an effective lookout in all

directions, including behind

not become complacent, even if you are

ami iar wit an aero rome

increase vigilance in high-risk areas,

including inbound reporting points and in

the circuit area

ensure you sig t any prece ing aircra t

before turning finals, otherwise consider

going aroun

be aware of, and manage blind spots as part

of your lookout technique

MID-AIRC SSOLLI ION


25/76

use stro es, eacons an an ing ig ts to increase aircra t visi i ity

turn your transponder on, code 1200, ALT mode.

Radio procedures

Talk is not cheap

Aviate, navigate and communicatetheyre your priority. Effective

communication assists situationa awareness.

Inci ent reports s ow pi ots sometimes o not o ow or un erstan

instructions given by air traffic control (ATC). When ATC gives you an

instruction, you should:

acknowledge ATC in a timely manner

think about what is required and then action the instruction

tell ATC if you do not think you can comply with an instruction

advise ATC if you do not understand an instruction

not be afraid to ask ATC for assistance.

W en an aircra t is equippe wit ua ra ios, incorrect se ection

of frequencies or transmission mode may create communication

difficulties. To avoid these:

always confirm that the frequency, transmit selector and volume

control are set for the ra io in use

ensure you ave receive an un erstoo t e ATIS we e ore t e

approac point.

Piots can ecome con use w en t ey receive an unexpecte instruction

rom ATC, or are una e to ma e a p anne ra io ca . To avoi con usion:

have an alternative plan if you are unable to make your inbound

call to ATC due to frequency congestion

monitor radio communications, and do not transmit during ATC

instruction and responses with other aircraft

make radio calls brief, clear, to the point and use standard phraseology.

GAAP proceduresEvery GAAP aerodrome has location-

specific procedures.

Surveys o a genera aviation proce ures

aerodromes (GAAP) show that some pilots

misun erstan t e roe o ATC at a GAAP

aerodrome. Remember:

in VMC, t e pi ot in comman must

sig t an maintain separation rom

other aircraft

comply with ATC instructions, and if

unable to comply advise ATC

advise ATC if sight is lost of other

aircra t.

ATC contro s runway operations wit

landing and take-off clearances. They

a so provi e tra c in ormation an or

sequence instructions.

Often pilots do not have a contingencyplan for frequency congestion.

Common congestion problems occur at

GAAP approac points an on na

approach. Remember:

if the frequency is congested, have a plan B

consider specific risks at your location

consider re-scheduling if traffic density

or radio congestion increase to an

uncomfortable level.


26/76

cant walk


27/76

T10

Flight Safety editor, Margo Marchbank,

caught up with Dale Elliott recently

in Brisbane when he addressed

Australian Parachute Federation

conference delegates.

Dale Elliott has just achieved an Australian first. In May 2009, he

became Australias first paraplegic solo skydiver. And dismiss images

o a w ee c air p ummeting eart war s rom your min t ats

parked at the drop zone, waiting. Without legs that work, Dale has

engineered an ingenious solution to land safely on his rear.Its een a ong journey to t is point. At t e recent Austra ian Parac ute

Federation of Australia conference in Brisbane, conference delegates

gave the down-sitting Dale a standing ovation after hearing his story.

He started flying as a year 11 student when he was 16; went solo in

January 1992, and got his PPL about a year later. He joined the army,

atten ing t e sc oo o arti ery at Man y, a antastic experience, an

then took on an apprenticeship as a LAME in 94-95. It was really

tough then to get a job as a pilot, he says, You had to have been flying

for about six to seven years. During his apprenticeship, he continued

to fly, dropping skydivers at weekends, and completing his night-VFR

and twin-engine CIR ratings. It was all working out really well.Achieving this first began six years ago, when, Dale recounts, he was

a commercia pi ot oo ing to get is ours up e ore trying or t e

airlines. He recalls that time vividly: on 23 December 2002, he was in

an Aero Commander, flying through 8,000ft, and through the window

in the roof, he could see the stars. He remembers thanking these

constellations out loud that night. Im 26 years old; Ive been married

to a won er u woman or six years; an Ive rea ise t e ream Ive

had ever since I was eight or nine of being a pilot. It doesnt get much

better than this. Three days later, Dale and wife Erika were spending

Christmas with the family at Waikerie in South Australias Riverland,

where he grew up.

On Boxing Day, he went for a spin on his cousins Yamaha R6 motorbike.

Ive ridden bikes on my parents farm since I was eight, but I swerved

to miss a dog, and came off. I wasnt going fast, but I knew something

was wrong when I couldnt feel my legs. That something was damage

to his spinal cord at T10 (the tenth of twelve thoracic vertebrae), which

left him a paraplegic and reliant on a wheelchair. Its also, according to

Da e, t e most common rea o owing motorcyc e acci ents, ecause

the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae (T10-L2) at the base of the rib cage

are in a region where the spine is most flexible, and therefore more

prone to injury. (Qua rip egic injury i ewise most common y occurs in

the region of the cervical vertebrae [C5-C7] of the neck.)

Iveriddenbikesonmyparentsfa

rmsinceIwaseight,butIswervedtomissadog,andcameoff.

Dreamstime.com


28/76

Wit typica etermination, is stay in re a in A e ai e was

remarkably short. Its all about taking some control back, he explains,

necessary to counter t e ee ings o epression an ope essness

which for many follow spinal cord injury. He was soon back working

for an aircraft charter company in Adelaide in charge of pilots

rosters and schedules. I was one, and now had to manage them, he

explains ruefully. But, determined to set himself more challenges,

Dale decided to resume skydiving. Flying jump planes had been a

way of getting some extra flying hours before his accident, and he

had done 37 jumps before as an able-bod. Solo, as a paraplegic,

was something completely different. With the support of Alan Gray

o A e ai e Tan em S y iving, Greg Smit o SA S y iving, an

instructor and photographer, Curtis Morton, Dale set about learning

ow to skydive as a paraplegic. There was no manual on this, so we

a to go ac to asics, e exp ains. I manage to trac own a

South African guy by the name of Peter Hewitt. Hes also a para and

es now one a out 120 jumps, so es given some great a vice.

Dales T10 paraplegia means that his abdominal core strength

is compromised, and balance is affected - and, both legs are

paralysed. Skydiving conventionally requires all of these abilities, for

WhatcanIdoinamatterofminutestogetmylegsupoutoftheway?

manoeuvra i ity in t e air, an or an ing.

Deve oping is gear as een very muc a

process of trial and error. His pants rigging

came about as an answer to the question:

What can I do in a matter of minutes to get my

legs up out of the way? He needs control of his

egs in aunc ing imse out o t e p ane, an

especia y or an ing, so t at e can pu is

egs up out o t e way, an an sa e y on is

rear. I was an aircraft engineer, and worked

with a lot of fibreglass, sitting my CASA exams

for composite materials. I also cut my teeth on

gliders at WaikerieI used to go and help with

the glider repairs. Theyre some of the best

fibreglass repair guys in Australia. All this put

him in good stead for dealing with the unique

situation of jumping with paralysed legs.

The irony of developing his equipment didnt

escape Dale. A month before his first jump,

he was swathed in a full plaster cast, looking

very much like the seen-after shots of a

disastrous jump. The plaster cast was inspired

by a 70s military movie he tracked down

on YouTube, which showed how to make an

arm cast on the battlefield. The plaster cast

worked perfectly, Dale says, as the mould for

making the fibreglass braces. These custom-

made fibreglass braces fit into the legs of a

pair of motocross pants, which are furthermodified with extra padding to cushion his

rear on landing. The braces keep his legs rigid

when necessary, and the cords on the braces

pull his legs up out of the way for landing. The

Mark 1 braces have scored a few bumps and

crashes and theyre beginning to show some

fatigue cracks so its now on to braces Mark

11. Dale is planning on making these from

5mm polypropylene plastic, working on the

t eory t at t ey wi e muc more exi e

and durable. Fellow paraplegic skydiver, Peter

Hewitt, has had a special polypro orthopaedic

pair made, but the $1000 cost of these is a

eterrent. Da es wor ing on ma in s o

T is stu (po ypropy ene) to wors gre

wit . A I nee is an an n er; a jigsaw;e-gr ;

an a commercia -siz .ove


29/76

A TYPICAL JUMPDale talks through what happens on a typical jump:

As t e aircra t c im s t roug 11,000 t on t e way to

12,000ft, everyone gets up and checks their gear. We

check each others pins (which hold the main and reserve

containers closed); put on our helmets and goggles; and

check altimeters. As we approach our exit point, we open

the oor an look out to make sure its all clear an we can

see the drop zone. I then make my way across the floor

to t e oor an swing my egs out to ace t e oncoming

70kt wind. I count Out, in, GO! and push off the aircraft

out into the blue sky. I throw my arms and head back and

counteract any s ipping y twisting my s ou ers aroun .

I check my altimeter every thousand feet or so, which

means about every five seconds. I do some turns and

have a play around, and might do a somersault or two.

As I am approaching 3000ft, I track to the left or right of

the aircraft track, so I dont fly under another skydiver

who has jumped after me. I deploy my main parachute at3000 t an quic y c ec t at it is ying straig t an eve .

I identify the landing area, check the wind drift and then

set myself up to pull up my legs and attach the straps to my

chest. This takes about 30 seconds. After that I have a play

around and do some turns under canopy, and at 1500ft I

will be joining a downwind leg. At 600ft I turn onto finalI

can adjust my rate of descent by using front and rear risers

on the canopy. This increases and decreases the angle of

escent. I can get my an ings wit in a ew metres o t e

target. Having 2000 flight hours and many more landings

as given me an a vantage. T e parap egia as no e ect

on my canopy control skills or technique. I just need toland softly every time to avoid injuries. This means I need

to pick my days to jump.

Fitness is also a big thing for Dale. Preparation for his first solo attempt

focused on building up strength and improving his circulation. You

need strength to move around the plane, he explains, and then

t eres t e 10-15 g c ute to consi er as we . So in t e ea -up to t e

jump, he was doing 20-30km hand cycle rides, getting his heart rate up

over two to t ree ours. Mastering t ese comp exities, an coming up

with the means to skydive as a paraplegic is no different, Dale argues,

He a so ives wit a mo i e parac ute onate y Parac utes

Australia; the harness is adapted to allow for his different body

position. Whereas able-bodied skydivers adopt an arched position to

remain stable in freefall, Dale needs to concentrate more on using his

upper body to deflect air and stay in a stable position. His arms are far

more active.

Photo: Curtis Morton


30/76

to w en, as a pi ot, you rst get in a p ane

an oo at a t e instruments. Youve got to

chunk it, and break it down, taking one thing

at a time.

Dales also a sit-down stand-up comic, whohas braved hecklers at various comedy

venues; and a motivational speaker. Following

is appearance at t e Bris ane con erence, e

ies to New Zea an in ate June. Hes excite

y t at prospect, ecause two NZ companies

ave o ere to sponsor is equipment:

NZ Aerosports are provi ing a new Icarus

Safire2 canopy; and Deepseed are making

a customised jump suit. The braces fitted to

external leg pockets in the new suit will give

much more flexibility in preparing for a jump.Hell talk to employees of both companies

about his skydiving journey.

Then theres the future challenge planned

or 2012. He gures it wou ma e quite a

statement for those with disabilities if he

and fellow para skydiver Peter Hewitt were

to skydive into the stadium for the opening

of the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

HefiguresitwouldmakequiteastatementforthosewithdisabilitiesifheandfellowparaskydiverPeterHewittweretoskydiveintothestadiumfortheopeningofthe2012LondonParalympicGames.

Daeani

nstructorAanGray


31/76

From is contact wit t e UK Parac ute

Association, hes found that they dont have

any paraplegic skydivers, so he and Peter are

planning on putting a proposal to the Games

opening committee when its convened by

t e Lon on organisers ater t is year. Peter

an I ave to get toget er an get to now

each others style and fall rates in the sky,

and well need demonstration licences,

which require strict examination and landing

accuracy skil ls.

AsFlight Safetywent to press, Dale gained his

A icence, an is now a qua i e s y iver.

According to CEO of the Australian Parachute

Federation, Susan Bostock, Dales nailed

it (his solo certification). Its quite mind-

boggling, she says. Its difficult enough for

a e- o ie s y ivers. T e it Susan re ers to

is the accuracy required for solo certification

to achieve this, skydivers must land within 25

metres o t e target in t e rop zone on 10 occasions. Some peop e

who become paraplegics lock themselves away, and become recluses,

but Dales different. He just says, This is the card Ive been dealt, and

makes the most of it.

Recently, CASA has been working closely with parachute bodies such as theAPF, on a range of safety procedures including cloud jumping procedures

manuals, and aircraft operation and maintenance issues. In September-

OctobersFlight Safety, we take a closer look at these developments.

For more information

u

The Australian Parachute Federation (APF) website.

e s t e organsat on w c contros s y vng

and parachuting at nearly all the civilian operations in

Australia.

www.saspc.asn.au South Australian Spor t Parachute Club

www.daleelliott.com ales website

www.scia.org.a pinal Cord In uries Australia

www.paraquad.org.au araplegic & Quadriplegic Association of NSW

Hejustsays, ThisisthecardIvebeendealt,andmakesthemostofit.

Photo:CurtisMorton


32/76

Following the above article

which ran in the last issue of

Flight Safety, several readers,

members of the Airtourer

Co-operative Ltd, expressed

concern as to the manner

in which the Victa Airtourer

was represented. Their level

of expertise in this area is

undoubted.

However, t is artic e was esigne to increase

genera awareness in t e aviation community

about fatigue of airframe structures, especially

with respect to aerobatic (those which

experience increased Ghigh G manoeuvring)

aircra t. T e ac o recor eeping was

identified as a major concern in a recent

audit of an operator, sparking the subject

article in Flight Safety Australia as a follow-

up action to provide information to otheroperators. The article was deidentified to

protect the privacy of those concerned.

The article was intended to be general

n nature an provi e in ormation an

examples of aircraft types with life limitations.

Both constraints on space in the magazine

an re uctance to pu is ata t at may

e seen as an a ternate to re erring to t e

controlled version (source document) of the

limitation were reasons the article does not

contain in-depth specifics on any particular type.

T e artic e re ers t e rea er instea to t e AMM, TCDS or any app ica e

airworthiness directives for details on their types specific limitations.

The details of the Airtourers specific fatigue sites were not spelled out,

but components of the wing and tailplane structure are affected (pleaserefer to AD/VAT/41 Amendment 1 for details). Comments made

pertained to the wing structure, and not wing failure per se.

T e message was to o your omewor on t e type you are inten ing

to purchase. The airworthiness of this type may well be updated in the

future, given feedback from industry through the SDR system, accidents

or etter now e ge o atigue sites. A t oug t ere was consi era e

research done in preparation of this article, it does not pretend to be all

you need to know about any aircraft type. A full and complete statement

on Airtourer atigue was not t e mission ere.

One writer referred to the Airtourer SDRs coincidentally appearing in

the same issue, describing them as normal maintenance jobs. The

whole point of the SDR system is to alert other operators to areas they

s ou consi er in norma maintenance. Moreover, it is t e registere

operator who is responsible for the maintenance of an aircraft, and for

the keeping of its records. The LAMEs who do the maintenance have

t eir own responsi i ities, ut managing t e maintenance an recor

keeping for someone elses aircraft are not part of them.

The illustration of the dramatised wing failure was an artists

impression, and as such, obviously does not purport to represent a real

occurrence. It did serve to attract attention and provides interest in

the magazine article. The graphic designer used an actual photograph

of another Airtourer on the following page, and believing that the

orientation suited the layout better, reversed this photograph. Giventhe pressure of meeting tight deadlines, unfortunately this error was

not picked up until after the magazine had gone to print.

i hGa oeuvrin

Theillustrationofthedramatisedwing

failurewasanartistsimpression,andas

such,doesnotpurporttorepresenta

realoccurrence.


33/76

There is also the potential or terfacial bondsin

etween components to ai t e a esivedegrades over time. Many composite airframes

in sma er sport an ig t GA ai cra t use on e

joints. A structure which cont s bonded joints

presents some potentia on -term structurag

durability issues.

Repair o an entire y on e structure is a so

challengingyou cant just unbolt a damaged

pane . T e amage area usua y as to e

cut away and replaced, potentially inducing

secondary delamination. Also, determining the

extent o t e amage in composites requiresa competent person, usually trained in non-

estructive testing (NDT), to assess t e amage.

This is not the case in a metal structure where

t e extent o t e amage is usua y apparent to

anyone, even those without NDT training.

Fatigue is not an issue in a -composite aircra t,

and material strains are low, but in-service skin

repairs, residual strength with hidden damage,

and lightning protection are concerns. Additionally,

there are some regulatory and industry capability

issues which should be considered.

Composite materials are not the new technology they once were.

Many basic sandwich/honeycomb panel composites have been in useon civilian aircraft for decades and on military aircraft for even longer.

A common perception of the layperson, and even some in the industry,

is that composite materials do not age, or age at a much slower rate

than the equivalent metal structure. While it is true that fibre laminate

structures are ess suscepti e to atigue t an t eir meta counterparts,

composites have their unique ageing problems.

AN AGEING ALL-COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT?

While many would think all-composite aircraft are immune to

ageing, some issues are eginning to emerge. T ese inc u e, ut are

not limited to:

hidden damage (delamination and disbond);

environmental susceptibility (i.e. trapped moisture freezing and

causing delamination); as well as

UV- and adhesive degradation. Many adhesives were not tested

for long-term durability in service. Many were tested only for

static and peel strength when newly applied, so there are many

nknowns here.

Cracking of filler materials, normally non-structural and in many

cases aesthetic in nature, but in some cases indicating a more

serious structural problem underneath.

Richard Castles, one of CASAs senior airworthiness engineers, with a

special interest in composite materials, looks at ageing and composites.

Maintaining

ageingcomposite-materialaircraft


34/76

...withacompositestructure,evenasevereimpactmayleavenodiscerniblemarksontheoutsideofthestructure.

COMPOSITE NDT CAPABILITY

The capability of industry NDT practitioners to detect and assess damage to advanced

car on re composite structure is emerging as an area w ic nee s to e a resse .

Are there any training or knowledge gaps? Are all industry NDT practitioners up-to-

speed with advanced composite structural inspection, so that they can competentlyetect i en amage to primary an secon ary structures?

New structural technologies employed in modern aircraft include carbon fibre

wrapped or laminated structure with carbon fibre stiffeners; monolithic 3D

composite structures; and extensive structure in which hidden disbonding or

delamination may not be immediately apparent. New equipment and inspection

tec niques wi e require to inspect t is type o a vance structure. Are t ere

any training requirements which need to be identified? Do local and international

regulatory NDT qualification standards reflect the level of expertise required to

inspect primary composite structures?

INDUSTRY REPAIR CAPABILITY

Some maintenance organisations in Australia possess very limited

capa i ity to un erta e a vance repairs o composite primary structure.

Current capability is generally confined to standard structural repair

manual (SRM)-based repairs on primarily secondary structure, and

imite to a uminium Nomex one com pa e on e

and laminate structures.

Modern composite aircraft contain a significant po tion of mono thi i

carbon/resin composite structure with integral stiffening, which will

make repairs more complex. Heat control during curing will require

a vance equipment, not just t e tra itiona ayup an eatblanket approach. Major repairs will require advanced autoclave

capability, or advanced in-situ heat blanket repairs.

GROUND HANDLING DAMAGE

The characteristics of the structure of modern composite aircraft

are so different that it is not simply the maintenance technicians

an engineers w o may nee specia ist training. Wit a

conventional metal structure, any collision between the aircraft

and ground support equipment is immediately apparent - there

wi e ings, ents, gouges, scratc es, etc.

You can assess the severity of such damage, often simply by

looking at it. However, with a composite structure, even a

severe impact may leave no discernible marks on the outside

of the structure. But it may be a different story insidewith

consi era e structura amage: e amination, is on s,

broken fibres, rovings and so on. Research has examined

the effects of high energy/blunt impact damage scen rios,

suc as t ose invo ving groun support equipment.

Continued on page 41...


35/76

SELECTED SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORTS

1 April 2009 31 May 2009

AIRCRAFT ABOVE 5700KG

Airbus A320232 Horizontal stabiliser FOD.

Ref 510008448RH horizontal stabiliser FOD. A small 7/32in by 1/4in ringspanner was found protruding from the inboard end of thestabiliser forward of the elevator. Spanner was visible fromthe ground. Suspect spanner was left behind following lastmaintenance. Investigation continuing.

Airbus A320232 MLG lockstay actuator hose swivelfitting ruptured. Ref 510008410LH main landing gear lockstay actuator hydraulic hoseswivel fitting cracked/ruptured. Loss of green systemhydraulic fluid.P/No: 201655144. TSN: 12,116 hours/7,124 cycles.

Airbus A320232 Pilots window cracked.Ref 510008409LH aft cockpit window cracked beyond limits. Window

heat computer PNo 416-00318-003 also replaced as a

precaution.P/No: NP1653133. TSN: 11,317 hours/7,596 cycles.

Airbus A330201 Cabin jet fuel smell. Ref 510008428Strong smell of jet fuel in cabin following engine start.Investigation and ground runs could find no evidence offumes. Suspect air conditioning pack ingested exhaustfumes during engine start.

Airbus A330202 HF system unserviceable.Ref 510008189No1 HF system inoperable.

Airbus A330303 Landing gear wheel brakedragging. Ref 510008179No5 wheel brake assembly dragging. Investigation foundpart of brake stator missing.P/No: 215782.

Airbus A330303 Water cooling units overheated.Ref 510008231Water cooling units inside toilet stowage overheated.Investigation found dust build-up over time caused cloggingof the cooling fins.

Airbus A380842 Engine cowl latch access panelmissing. Ref 510008362No2 engine cowl latch access panel partially missing.Approximately 508mm (20in) of the forward end of thepanel was missing with the rest of the panel delaminated.

Investigation continuing.P/No: L5412335000600.

Airbus A380842 Rack receptacle socket and printedcircuit card overheat damage. Ref 510008477Socket 11 of rack receptacle 3223XZ and associated printed

circuit card 3020XZ damaged due to overheating. Hole burntin rack buss bar cover. Associated wire 2473-1037-DR10-Wand terminal also heat damaged. Investigation continuing.P/No: 11532986.

BAC 146100 Engine pylon attachment bracketcracked. Ref 510008323No1 engine pylon attachment bracket cracked betweenthree fasteners at upper attachment flange attachingbracket to lower wing skin at forward spar.

P/No: HC571H0288000. TSN: 40,340 hours/25,852 cycles.

BAC 146300 Fuel boost pump wire chafed.Ref 510008479LH inner fuel boost pump wire 056C chafed and shortcircuiting to ground. Wire located between LH rear wingfuselage fairing disconnect and fuel pump connector 2QG5P.P/No: 056C. (1 similar occurrence)

BAG JETSTM4101 Flap cable rod end failed.Ref 510008449Flap system teleflex cable rod end failed due tosuspected binding at clevis pin attachment to flapposition transducer.P/No: 745284.

Boeing 717200 PSEU faulty. Ref 510008215Proximity Sense Electronic Unit (PSEU) faulty. PSEUwas on first flight since fitment the previous night.P/No: 893602. (1 similar occurrence)

Boeing 737376 EGT indicator unserviceable.Ref 510008296No2 engine EGT indicator failed.P/No: WL202EED6. TSN: 4,898 hours. TSO: 4,898hours. (4 similar occurrences)

Boeing 737376 Fuselage stringers cracked.Ref 510008227Fuselage stringers cracked in the following areas:- 1.BS870 Stringer 23R - crack length 38.1mm (1.5in) 2.BS880 str inger 24R - crack length 38.1mm (1.5in) 3BS903 stringer 25R - crack length 33.78mm (1.33in)Investigation continuing.(4 similar occurrences)

Boeing 7373YO Nacelle strut mid-spar fuse pincorroded. Ref 510008208LH nacelle strut mid-spar outboard fuse pin corrodedon inner surface of the head and in the head radius.Found during inspection iaw AD/B737/344 (FAA AD2008-21-03 and Boeing SB 737-54-1044).P/No: 311A10922.

Boeing 737476 Aileron tab assembly loose.Ref 510008438LH aileron tab assembly had excessive free play. Foundduring inspection iaw EI 734-27-85R1.

Boeing 737476 Autopilot computer faulty.Ref 510008458Autopilot computer faulty.P/No: 4051600923. TSN: 52,352 hours. TSO: 22,944

hours. (1 similar occurrence)Boeing 737476 Cabin altitude warning switchunserviceable. Ref 510008354Cabin altitude warning switch failed to operate.P/No: 214C502.

Boeing 737476 Copilots window jammed.Ref 510008349First Officers No2 window (emergency exit) externalrelease handle cam would not release the latch.Investigation found that pin assembly PNo 66-19355-1located in the internal handle had backed out to a pointthat the release cam would not function.P/No: 5717623096. (1 simil

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