CASA Briefing newsletter – October 2010

[Admin]

From the Director of Aviation Safety

 

John McCormick

 

The coming months will see increased activity in the area of regulatory reform. As many of you would know the Federal Government's Aviation White Paper set a requirement to finalise the update and modernising of our safety regulations by the end of 2011. I am confident we are on track to finish the drafting of the regulations to meet this timeframe, which is good news for everyone in the aviation industry. Australia already has a comprehensive set of effective safety regulations in place, however, these will be enhanced, refined and improved. Right now about half of the new Civil Aviation Safety Regulations have been made and implemented. The remaining new regulations will cover maintenance, flight operations, flight crew licensing and sport and recreation. The maintenance suite of regulations is on schedule to be completed this year, with implementation of the new rules commencing in mid 2011 for regular public transport operations. New maintenance rules for charter, aerial work and private operations will be drafted and phased in over future years. LAME licences will move to the new regulations from the middle of next year.

 

The operational rules for air transport operations and the flight crew licensing suite of regulations are currently being drafted and good progress is being made. I expect consultation with the aviation industry on the proposed new general operating and flight rules to get underway before the end of this year. There will be comprehensive implementation programs developed by CASA for each new suite of Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. Naturally, we will do everything possible to ensure a smooth and safe transition and give everyone adequate time to comply with any new requirements. The communication and education campaign CASA undertook earlier this year for the changes to procedures in Class D airspace and at non-towered aerodromes will be a model for the way we communicate and educate on the regulatory changes.

 

I am pleased to report the changes we have been making to the way CASA operates are now paying dividends, with more effective safety oversight and better regulatory outcomes. The re-establishment of the Standards Development division has proved central to the solid progress we are making on the new regulations, as has been the decision to set up a task force with the Attorney General's Department to draft the regulations. CASA is also making excellent progress in aligning policies and procedures across the organisation. Although people in the aviation industry may not be seeing instant changes, this process is a key to achieving consistency in the way CASA operates. Internal consistency means more consistent regulatory advice and decision making for the aviation industry, which is essential to achieving the best possible safety results. We have also put a lot of effort in recent months into training for our technical staff to make sure they have up-to-date expertise and regulatory skills to continue to support a world leading aviation safety regime. Like all organisations, change takes time to implement and become apparent, but I am confident we are on the right track.

 

Best regards

 

John F McCormick

 

Ten year plan for new aviation technology

 

Australia's aviation industry is being asked to comment on a proposed plan for the widespread implementation of new technology for aircraft communication, navigation and surveillance. CASA has developed a ten year plan for the phased introduction of technology to support a national satellite and ground-based air traffic management system, satellite only aircraft navigation, air-to-air traffic conflict surveillance and more efficient air traffic management. The plan has been developed in response to the Federal Government's aviation white paper, which calls for a modern and flexible air traffic management system. Under the proposed strategy equipment would gradually be fitted to enable all instrument flight rules capable aircraft to use satellite navigation.

 

CASA has published a detailed discussion paper on the proposed plan. It says there is a clear responsibility to the travelling public to transition to the new technology as both aviation safety and efficiency can be improved. The risks of air traffic conflict at busier regional aerodromes in Class G airspace and the increasing requirement for Class E airspace also support the need for new technology. World-wide over the next ten years there will be a continuing transition to satellite technology for navigation and surveillance and an increased use of air-ground and air-air data links. Using new technology will mean aircraft can be operated more efficiently, with a reduction in distances flown and less fuel burnt. In addition, the high cost of maintaining and renewing the current ground-based navigation systems can be greatly reduced. CASA says industry response to the discussion paper will guide the next steps in developing the plan for the regulatory changes needed to allow the introduction of the new technologies. Comments must be lodged by 30 November 2010.

 

Read the communication, navigation and surveillance discussion paper and have your say.

 

New warning about smoke and fires

 

Australian air operators have been reminded of the need to act quickly and correctly in the event of smoke or fumes in an aircraft. CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, John McCormick, has issued the reminder in a letter sent to all passenger carrying air operators last month. Mr McCormick says at the first indication or suspicion of smoke or fumes in an aircraft the priority must be to don protective equipment such as smoke goggles and oxygen masks. At the very least, one pilot must fit protective equipment without any delay. Goggles and masks must be fitted tightly to minimise the risk of smoke or fumes leaking into the equipment. The letter says when faced with an in-flight fire, smoke or fumes pilots should follow approved emergency procedures and manufacturers guidance material. Landing as soon as possible is a key consideration.

 

The reminder about the dangers of smoke and fumes follows the crash of a United Parcel Service 747-400 at Dubai in early September 2010. The two pilots of the aircraft reported smoke and fire alarms nearing the top of climb after take off from Dubai International Airport. After deciding to return to Dubai the aircraft missed an initial approach, flying over the airport at about 4000 ft and crashing shortly after. Both pilots died in the accident. CASA's letter to Australian operators says excellent guidance material on what pilots should do in the case of in-flight fires is available from the US Federal Aviation Administration and the Flight Safety Foundation.

 

Read the Flight Safety Foundation information on aircraft fires.

 

Read the FAA advisory circular on in-flight fires.

 

Updated information on how to ditch

 

Comprehensive and updated information is now available on aeroplane ditching. Pilots can learn about all aspects of ditching including general techniques, how aeroplanes will behave on impact with water, escaping from a ditched aeroplane, survival in the water and rescue. The Civil Aviation Advisory Publication says 88 per cent of controlled ditchings result in few injuries to pilots or passengers. However, there is a greater risk of drowning after ditching, usually hastened by hypothermia or exhaustion. The advice on ditching has been updated to make pilots aware not all aircraft manufacturers recommend flaring their aeroplane before ditching. One manufacturer says the aeroplane should not be flared for a ditching due to the difficulty in judging the height above the water surface and the serious consequences of a stall. Pilots should check their aircraft flight manual or pilot's operating handbook for detailed information on how to carry out a ditching. If these documents do not contain information on ditching the advisory publication sets out ten key actions that must be considered. These include reducing the aeroplane's weight, ensuring landing gear is up, having a door or hatch open before impact, keeping airspeed and rate of descent as low as possible, ditching into the wind and making the approach using power.

 

Find more about ditching by reading the advisory publication.

 

Reminder to watch out for locusts

 

A warning to pilots to be aware of the risks locusts can pose to aircraft operations remains current. An aeronautical information publication supplement has been published setting out the dangers of locusts to aircraft when the insects are in plague numbers. Pilots operating in inland areas of NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Southern Queensland need to be mindful of the risks caused by locusts. Once the insects take to the wing they can reach altitudes of 3000 ft and spread over large areas. Locusts are active during both day and night, possibly travelling hundreds of kilometres at night in the right conditions.

 

The AIP supplement says swarms of adult locusts can pose a direct threat to aviation. "When in sufficient numbers they can mask ground features so that it cannot be seen reliably," the supplement says. "Ingestion of locusts into engine intakes and pitot tubes of aircraft can present cooling and unreliable airspeed indications. Impacting on windscreens and goggles will be the cause of reduced visibility. Extra caution should be applied in the vicinity of aerodromes that may be supporting aerial operations associated with locusts control as they may attract increased traffic of light aircraft (including low-flying helicopters and fixed-wing spray aircraft). Aviators are reminded of the good airmanship practices of fitting pitot covers and engine intake blanking to prevent locust ingestion while the aircraft is in a hangar or secured in the open."

 

Read the AIP supplement on locusts.

 

Learn all about flight reviews

 

Advice to pilots and flying instructors on how to successfully conduct a flight review has been updated. It is now recommended that flight reviews include a navigation exercise. All pilots must complete a flight review, or approved substitute, every two years to ensure flying skills and knowledge are maintained and improved. Flight reviews should be planned according to the type of flying a pilot undertakes. CASA has added a recommendation for the inclusion of a navigation exercise in each flight review. A Civil Aviation Advisory Publication on flight reviews says including a navigation exercise is an opportunity to develop a pilot's knowledge and professionalism. An extra 1.5 to 2 hours should be added to the review when a navigation exercise is undertaken.

 

The advisory publication provides clear guidance on how flight reviews should be conducted, who can undertake them and the philosophy behind the reviews. Both pilots and instructors are encouraged to read the advisory, which aims to achieve consistency and standardisation of flight reviews to ensure good safety outcomes without unreasonable expense. The publication states: "Ideally the assessor should aim to make the event something that pilots look forward to, rather than dread. This can be achieved by establishing good communications, clearly identifying the requirements of the flight review and committing to ensuring that the pilot will benefit from the exercise. Assessors should endeavour to provide positive feedback and, where deficiencies are identified, rectify the problems without making the pilot feel inadequate."

 

Read the flight review Civil Aviation Advisory Publication.

 

Check fire extinguishers now

 

Aircraft and balloon owners and operators need to check their dry powder fire extinguishers after a recall of a range of recently manufactured units. The dry powder fire extinguishers subject to the recall are labelled as Chubb, Quell, Flameguard, Motorcraft or Fire Smart. The affected extinguishers were manufactured between 16 February 2010 and 8 July 2010. They range in size from 1 kilogram to 4.5 kilograms. A CASA airworthiness bulletin says some of the extinguishers may be fitted to aircraft, particularly manned hot air balloons. The manufacturer of the extinguishers, Chubb, believes through in-house testing that some of the affected extinguishers may not meet the required standard in relation to filling. Too much or too little powder can mean the extinguisher will not discharge a steady stream of powder. Any extinguishers subject to the recall should be taken to the place of purchase and exchanged for a replacement unit. Aircraft or balloon owners and operators who find units subject to the recall should also report the matter through CASA's service difficulty report system.

 

Read the dry powder extinguisher airworthiness bulletin.

 

Busy round of safety seminars for pilots

 

November 2010 is a busy month for CASA's pilot education and learning program. There are 11 AvSafety seminars for pilots scheduled for the month across four states. The seminars, run by CASA's aviation safety advisors, will look at a range of important issues such as operations in and around controlled airspace, operations at non-towered aerodromes, airmanship, air safety and basic human performance and pilot maintenance. The seminars are being held in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. All pilots are encouraged to attend seminars when they are held in their local area, with the events running for several hours from 18:00 or 18:30. Most seminars are held in local aero or flying clubs, although some are staged in other venues where necessary. The events are also a great chance to talk to CASA's aviation safety advisors about safety and operational issues.

 

Find the location of the November AvSafety seminars.

 

Coffs Harbour and Rockhampton studies

 

The final reports of aeronautical studies of the airspace at Coffs Harbour and Rockhampton aerodromes have been released. Both aerodromes have air traffic services, operate with Class D airspace and have a mix of traffic from Boeing 737s to general aviation aircraft. The Coffs Harbour study found airspace users believe Coffs Harbour is safe and efficient. However, there were a high number of violations of controlled airspace, as well as incidents where parachute operators failed to comply with an air traffic instruction or procedure. There is also a concern by some airspace users that public transport operations do not always comply with the circuit direction when the air traffic control tower is closed. The report recommends that CASA's aviation safety advisors conduct safety seminars at Coffs Harbour to educate pilots about flying in and around controlled airspace. In addition, it was recommended the aerodrome operator develop a plan on how to manage future skydiving activity. CASA will be making further enquiries about public transport operators not complying with circuit directions.

 

The Rockhampton study found the design and classification of airspace is suitable for its current use. Most safety incidents are a failure to observe air traffic control instructions and violations of controlled airspace, although these could not be linked to design and classification of the airspace. The report recommends that CASA continues to monitor Rockhampton airspace, with a focus on changes in traffic numbers and mix. After five years, or if traffic rises significantly, a further study should be conducted.

 

Read the Coffs Harbour aeronautical report.

 

Read the Rockhampton aeronautical report.

 

Unmanned vehicles to the rescue

 

Unmanned aerial vehicle enthusiasts from across Australia and overseas descended on Kingaroy in late September for this year's UAV Challenge – Outback Rescue. The Challenge invites teams from universities and high schools to construct and operate unmanned aerial vehicles in an ‘outback rescue' environment.

 

A life size dummy – Outback Joe – represents a lost bushwalker who must be located and helped. The university teams must have an unmanned aircraft system capable of searching an area of two square nautical miles, up to five nautical miles from Kingaroy aerodrome. Teams have an hour to locate Outback Joe and deliver a 500ml bottle of water. Six university teams took part in this year's challenge, with the University of North Dakota team finding Outback Joe within eight minutes. However, the North Dakota team failed to win the challenge because their bottle of water had accidently been dropped earlier. No other team successfully completed all the tasks in the Challenge.

 

In the schools challenge, teams must develop an airborne delivery system that can drop an emergency package – a chocolate bar – to Outback Joe. The teams pilot their unmanned aerial vehicles along a mapped out course to a two metre square target zone. Eight schools took part in the 2010 challenge, with the winner being Calamvale Community College in Queensland who landed the chocolate bar between Outback Joes' legs. The Challenge has been held for four years to encourage a focus on civilian unmanned aircraft systems and promote research and development. CASA has issued 12 air operator certificates for Australian unmanned aerial systems operations, with another 45 applications being assessed.

 

Find out more about the UAV Challenge.

 

Volcanos and aviation – the debate continues

 

The risks posed to aviation by volcanos continues to be under the international spotlight. Last month a special conference was held in Iceland to look at the events surrounding the eruption of the Icelandic volcano in April 2010, the impact of the decision to close European airspace and aviation safety and volcanos. With the closure of European airspace estimated to have cost billions of dollars, more than 200 people took part in the conference from a wide range of disciplines. These included aviation regulators, airline executives, vulcanologists, meteorologists, pilots, aircraft manufacturers and airspace specialists.

 

The conference was told the length of the airspace closure was seen by many as too conservative, although there was a lack of precise information at the time. Volcanologists said every eruption is different, meaning it is hard to have solid plans ahead of any volcano event. More research is underway on the impact of ash on turbine engines, along with practical research by Russians using fighter aircraft. The International Civil Aviation Organization has set up a high level task force to review volcanic ash procedures and further action by the body has been foreshadowed. Australia's procedures for managing a volcanic ash event follow International Civil Aviation Organization guidelines. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology manages the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, which covers a number of active volcanos in South East Asia.

 

Find out more about the Iceland volcano conference.

 

Make a date to learn about aviation history

 

Everyone interested in aviation should remember the annual open day at the Airways Museum in Melbourne is on Saturday 13 November 2010. The focus of this year's Airways Museum open day is the history of the aviation rescue and fire fighting service. A new photographic exhibition about aviation fire fighting will be opened and there will be guest speakers and films shown throughout the day. Airservices Australia is also providing one of the latest mark 8 ultra large fire vehicles for inspection by everyone. The Airways Museum is located at Essendon Airport, at the rear of building 44. It houses a collection of national importance that traces the development of Australia's civil aviation airways system through innovation and technical development from it's beginnings in the 1920s to today.

 

Find out more about the Airways Museum.

 

 

[P4D]

Thanks for the report John. I notice that the "Busy round of safety seminars for pilots" does not include any QLD locations. Would this be an oversight or are we already suitably perfect?