The CASA Briefing

[Admin]

January 2012

 

From the Director of Aviation Safety

 

John McCormick

 

Listening to the views of people in the aviation industry, and the broader Australian public, is important to CASA and to me. Feedback helps us do our job as the aviation safety regulator in many ways. We need your views on regulatory change, regulatory service delivery, safety issues, industry problems and our overall performance. Vitally, we need people in the aviation industry to tell us when they see a risk to safety, whether the risk is caused by the actions of people or organisations or from a culmination of events and circumstances. CASA is not a large organisation, with around 800 staff in total, so our time on the tarmac, in the hangars and in aviation offices is constrained. Naturally, we prioritise our activities to the aviation operations that most need attention - those that carry the greatest numbers of passengers and those with the highest risks. However, if you see a situation where you believe the risks are growing or not acceptable then please contact CASA, either through your local CASA office or the safety hotline on 1800 074 737.

 

In 2011, I received a total of 271 feedback emails sent through the 'Director's feedback' icon on the front page of the CASA web site. These covered a very wide range of topics, some critical of CASA, some supportive and many others simply seeking factual information. Reading and responding to these feedback emails helps CASA understand aviation industry and public concerns about air safety, regulatory issues and CASA's service delivery. As you might expect, feedback from the public is mostly about cabin safety issues or in response to events such as the suspension of air operators. Feedback from people in the aviation industry is much harder to generalise, as your emails cover everything from how our web site works to the details of regulations. Overall, this feedback provides another layer of communication between CASA and people in the aviation industry, supplementing our daily direct contact in person, by telephone or email. Meeting and talking to people is always best, but written feedback is valuable.

 

During 2012, please stay in touch with CASA through whatever means best suits your needs and purposes. If we ask for feedback on new regulations, please try to find some time to respond. If you have a problem with CASA, please contact the manager in the relevant area and seek to resolve the issue. Any issue you cannot resolve with the relevant manager may then be referred to CASA's Industry Complaints Commissioner. If you need to bring something to my attention, please use the feedback form on the CASA web site. And, of course, talk to the CASA people in your local office or our aviation safety advisors. Aviation is an information rich industry and good communication is one key to safety.

 

Best regards

 

John F McCormick

 

Call for comments on new pilot training rules

 

Draft new rules covering multi-crew pilot training, other integrated training for complex flying and contract training and checking for smaller airline operations have been released for comment. The proposed rules will form Part 142 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. They cover integrated training for private, commercial, air transport and multi-crew pilot licences, as well as training for ratings, endorsements and flight reviews. The rules set out the way organisations providing integrated training will be required to operate. Flight training organisations covered by Part 142 will need an air operators certificate for pilot training carried out in aircraft and an authorisation for training conducted in flight simulators. They will need to develop a detailed exposition to show CASA how they will comply with the relevant safety regulations.

 

Part 142 will require training organisations to have a number of key personnel, including a chief executive officer, head of operations and a safety manager for aircraft operators or a quality manager for simulator operators. There will also be a requirement for training organisations to have a safety management system, or in the case of a simulator operator a quality system. Part 142 proposes a regulatory framework covering recurrent training and checking under contract arrangements, which will assist operators of aircraft fitted with 30 or less passenger seats. These air operators may contract a Part 142 training organisation to conduct recurrent training and checking on their behalf. This training and checking must be conducted in accordance with the air operator's training and checking manual and the air operator remains responsible for the competency of its pilots.

 

The draft of Part 142 is open for comment until 2 March 2012. Find out more and send your comments.

 

Maintenance training milestone reached

 

The transition to Australia's new maintenance regulations has taken another important step forward. Australian Aerospace Limited has become the first maintenance training organisation to move across from the old to the new maintenance regulations. The civil helicopter maintenance training organisation has been given a Civil Aviation Safety Regulation Part 147 certificate. Part 147 sets out the new rules for basic maintenance training for aircraft engineers, as well as aircraft type training. It is part of the new maintenance suite of regulations which came into effect in mid 2011. The new rules are aligned with common international maintenance training practices, introduce higher standards and can reduce costs to industry. Maintenance training organisations operating under the current rules have until the middle of 2013 to transition to the new regulations. In total, CASA expects 52 organisations to make the transition.

 

CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, John McCormick, presented Australian Aerospace with the new Part 147 certificate in Brisbane recently. Mr McCormick said: "The new regulations will enhance safety because they introduce requirements for safety management systems and human factors training into the maintenance sector for the first time." Robert Holtsbaum of Australian Aerospace said the Part 147 approval was the first step in a series of initiatives to promote and develop additional training services for the Australian and international aviation industries. He said compliance with the new regulations will "ensure Australia's ongoing international competitiveness".

 

Find out more about Part 147 of the maintenance regulations.

 

Requirement to inspect elevator control cables

 

A series of airworthiness directives has been issued for mandatory inspections of critical flight control cables fitted to a range of Beechcraft aircraft. Owners and operators of the aircraft must replace any damaged forward elevator control cables before further flight. CASA is also requiring owners and operators of these aircraft to replace any forward elevator control cables that have been in service for more than 15 years. This must be done within 60 days. The new requirements cover the Debonair, Bonanza and Baron models. There are approximately 270 Debonair and Bonanza aircraft on the Australian aircraft register and about 100 Barons. Not all of these aircraft will be affected by the requirements to inspect and replace the control cables as the design of the affected components changed in later models. CASA issued the airworthiness directive following an incident where the forward elevator on a Bonanza failed during control checks before the aircraft was about to take off. This caused the elevator to remain in the full down position, meaning the pilot may have lost control of the aircraft if it had become airborne. A second aircraft was inspected and the forward elevator control cable was also found to be badly frayed.

 

Read the Beechcraft airworthiness directives.

 

Change to extended range rules

 

Australia's rules covering extended diversion time operations are being aligned with current international standards. This means the threshold for extended range operations will be reduced from 90 minutes to 60 minutes. Operators of twin engine turbine aircraft carrying more than 19 passengers will need an approval from CASA to fly more than 60 minutes from a suitable aerodrome at the one engine inoperative cruise speed. CASA has set up a project to develop the regulatory changes required to reduce the extended range threshold, with amendments required to Civil Aviation Order 82. The project statement says the threshold was set at 90 minutes in 2007 in the expectation the International Civil Aviation Organization and other leading aviation safety regulators were moving to this standard for twin engine turbine aircraft. However, this has not occurred and it now appropriate for Australia to set its extended range operations rules in line with current international standards and practices. CASA will also seek to change the standards for extended diversion time operations for three and four engine aeroplanes. The project statement says one of its objectives is to "provide appropriate provisions that facilitate the use of advanced aeroplane design whilst ensuring aviation safety is maintained".

 

Get full details on the extended diversion time project.

 

Pilots warned to use radios properly

 

Pilots are being warned by CASA of the dangers of failing to use their radios properly at non-towered aerodromes. They are also being warned to correctly follow alerted see and avoid procedures. The warnings follow continuing reports of break downs in separation and near miss incidents in the airspace at non-towered aerodromes. Incident reports show some pilots are operating within the vicinity of a non-towered aerodrome without correctly monitoring the aerodrome frequency. Pilots must check relevant documents such as ERSA and NOTAMS for up to date information on frequencies. Information from broadcasts on the local frequency, air-ground radio services and transponders increases a pilot's chance of detecting other aircraft by a factor of eight. Alerted see and avoid - looking out of the window for other aircraft as well as using the radio - is a vital part of safe flight. Pilots are being told it is vital not to be distracted while keeping a watch for other traffic and making radio calls. The theme for CASA's campaign to warn pilots about the dangers of incorrect radio use and failure to follow alerted see and avoid procedures is 'Be heard, be seen, be safe'.

 

There is a wealth of information on CASA's web site to help all pilots be heard, be seen and be safe.

 

Updated guidance on minimum equipment lists

 

Updated information and guidance on developing and obtaining approval for aircraft minimum equipment lists has been issued by CASA. A minimum equipment list is a schedule that sets out the equipment and instruments on an aircraft that may be inoperative while that aircraft continues to fly. The minimum equipment list allows for the operation of the aircraft under specific conditions with identified defects. The civil aviation advisory publication on minimum equipment lists has been updated to include references to new Civil Aviation Safety Regulations and changes to Civil Aviation Regulation 37. In the 24 page advisory there is information on the background to minimum equipment lists, how to develop a document, formatting and obtaining CASA approval. The background information says minimum equipment lists are able to be used because the various levels of redundancy designed into aircraft mean they can operate safely for a limited period of time with certain equipment inoperative. It is stressed that the minimum equipment list is not aimed at encouraging the operation of aircraft with defects and continued operations with inoperative equipment should be minimised. The pilot in command or a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer can invoke a minimum equipment list.

 

Read the minimum equipment list advisory publication.

 

Helicopter landing site guidance being updated

 

The guidelines for establishing and using helicopter landing sites are being updated. CASA has set up a project to rewrite an existing civil aviation advisory publication on helicopter landing sites, which was first published in 1996. The project statement says helicopter operations are becoming more complex and are carrying increasing numbers of passengers each year. However, the current guidance material on helicopter landing sites is not up to date and needs to reflect the latest International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Helicopter operators and government agencies are requesting up to date guidance material, particularly for offshore and hospital helipads. New parts of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations will also include specific performance requirements for helicopter operations, which will demand a more detailed approach to the design and use of helicopter landing sites.

 

The first stage of the project to rewrite Civil Aviation Advisory Publication 92-2 (1) will look at the requirements for offshore helidecks, while the second stage will focus on onshore helipads other than basic and standard. Civil Aviation Regulation 92 says an aircraft shall not land or take off from any place unless it is suitable for use as an aerodrome and the aircraft can operate from the place safely. However, the regulation does not specify all the circumstances that should be considered in determining if a place is suitable for safe operations. The guidelines in the civil aviation advisory publication can be used to determine the suitability of a place for the landing and taking off of helicopters.

 

Find out more about the helicopter landing site project.

 

Perth airspace review triggers recommendations

 

A review of the airspace surrounding Perth airport has made 15 recommendations to address a range of issues. CASA's Office of Airspace Regulation conducted the review of airspace within 50 nautical miles of Perth aerodrome. This included operations at Jandakot, Pearce and 13 other smaller aerodromes. The airspace review identified 36 key issues which were raised by airspace users during interviews and forums. Issues range from the rapid growth of fly-in and fly-out mining operations, significant airspace capacity limitations, restricted access to Perth controlled airspace, difficulties in delivering instrument flight rules training, radar surveillance coverage at Jandakot not being reliable to the surface, some visual flight rules reporting points being hard to identify and the class C steps causing issues for certain aircraft types. The review's report notes a Western Australian air traffic task force has been set up to consider ways for CASA and Airservices Australia to enhance the safety and efficiency of West Australian airspace to meet current and future demands. Airservices is also conducting a study into the issues affecting Perth airspace capacity. Recommendations in the report include flying school representatives meeting with Airservices to look at options for increasing access to controlled airspace, the RAAF and Navy examining changes to restricted airspace, CASA delivering education sessions to flying schools and private pilots on procedures and Airservices reviewing and updating visual flight rules approach and reporting points.

 

Read the Perth airspace review.

 

Still time to comment on draft single pilot training rules

 

There is still time to comment on draft new rules covering flying training for single pilot operations. CASA has released a draft of Part 141 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, which sets out the proposed flying training rules for recreational, private and commercial pilot licences, ratings and endorsements. Flying training organisations covered by Part 141 would not need an air operator's certificate, instead they would hold an authorisation to conduct training in aircraft or flight simulators. This change would eliminate some compliance costs and simplify administrative and organisational requirements for flying training organisations. The proposed rules would require organisations to have a safety management system for aircraft operators or a quality system for operators of flight simulators. CASA would provide guidance material to assist flying training organisations in the implementation of these systems. Flying training organisations operating under Part 141 would not be authorised to conduct integrated flying training or provide training for an air transport pilot licence, multi crew pilot licence or multi crew type ratings.

 

Find out more about the proposed single pilot training rules and comment before 17 February 2012.

 

AOC holders survey 2012

 

The latest survey of air operators is about to begin. For the past four years air operators have been surveyed to ensure CASA holds accurate and up-to-date operational information on the aviation industry. The survey being held in 2012 will include all operators who hold an air operator's certificate. CASA anticipates the survey should take air operators who have maintained ongoing data of their activities approximately 30 minutes to complete, although this will depend on the size of the company and the complexity of the operations conducted. The questions will ask for information about operations between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011. Information is also required on each aircraft operated under the air operator's certificate, including hours flown, number of landings, passengers carried by operation type. Information is also sought on staff numbers and safety management practices for each holder of an air operator's certificate. An email and letter will be sent to all air operators with a link to the questionnaire. Operators will then have 28 days to complete the survey from the start date. If air operators do not receive this information about the survey by the end of February 2012 they are asked to contact CASA. To ask questions about the air operator's certificate holder safety questionnaire or to tell CASA you have not been sent a questionnaire, please phone Julie Codyre on 131 757, extension 1841, or email [email protected].