CASA Briefing Newsletter - September 2019

[Admin]

CEO and Director of Aviation Safety Shane Carmody comments:

 

 

Getting ready for the new general operating and flight rules which start in early 2021 is now a whole lot easier. In an important milestone for aviation safety regulation, CASA has released an advanced draft of the plain English guide to Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. In effect Part 91 sets out the rules of the sky, which means it is essential knowledge for all pilots. What we have done is to carefully translate the necessary legal language contained in Part 91 and the associated manual of standards, as well as including helpful tips, to create an easy to read and use publication. There will be little need for most people in aviation to refer directly to the Part 91 regulations and manual of standards as the guide covers all the content succinctly and accurately in plain language.

 

I have been firmly behind the development of the plain English guide because it will make the transition to the new suite of operational regulations far easier for everyone. In March 2021, new regulatory parts commence covering air transport in small aeroplanes, large aeroplanes and helicopters, as well as aerial work operations and sport aviation. Between now and commencement, CASA will develop other legal documents to support the regulations, as well as detailed explanatory and guidance material. This will include sample manuals and a gap analysis tool - showing where a rule is in the current legislation compared to where you can find it in the new rules.

 

The advanced draft of the Part 91 plain English guide is being released now so everyone can familiarise themselves with the resource and provide us with feedback. We are working to issue the final version of the guide in the first half of 2020, when the Part 91 manual of standards is complete. Our goal is to give everyone plenty of time to be across the introduction of the new operational rules before they start. Of course, right now the new rules haven’t commenced, so it is important to keep following the current regulations and requirements.

 

Please go to the interactive PDF version of the guide and give us your feedback via [email protected].

 

I was very pleased to recently present the 2019 Stephen Guerin scholarship to pilot Ashley Pullman. The scholarship was set up to honour the late CASA flying operations inspector Stephen Guerin, who was killed in a 2017 accident in South Australia. CASA contributes $15,000 towards the costs of further professional qualifications for a pilot in South Australia who has already achieved or is well advanced towards a commercial pilot licence. Ashley was chosen from ten applicants due to his commitment to advancing in aviation and already being a safety conscious and respected member of the South Australian flying community. His ambitions are to complete a multi engine class rating and then proceed to multi engine training approval and instrument training approval. I’m sure Ashley has a bright future in aviation and I’m pleased CASA can support his training.

 

Best wishes

Shane Carmody

 

 

Updates

 

 

 

Comment now on recreational aircraft weight limit

 

 

Consultation closes soon on a discussion paper setting out a proposal to increase the weight limit for aeroplanes administered by approved self-administering aviation organisations. CASA is seeking feedback from the aviation community on the impact of increasing the maximum take-off weight limit from 600 kg up to a maximum of 760 kg. This would only apply to aircraft used for recreational activities or flying training and the approved self-administering organisation must demonstrate to CASA a capability of maintaining an acceptable level of aviation safety. Other aircraft limitations such as maximum stall speed would not be changed under this proposal. The proposal would see the establishment of a new operating classification within an approved self-administering organisation safety system to manage the operations of aircraft with the proposed higher maximum take-off weight. CASA is seeking submissions that highlight any perceived pros, cons and effects on aviation safety, as well as potential financial impacts. The provision of relevant data or practical examples is welcomed. Feedback from consultation on the discussion paper will help CASA to decide the next steps, including whether to develop a more detailed policy proposal.

 

Have your say on the maximum take-off weight increase for aeroplanes managed by an approved self-administering aviation organisation discussion paper before 28 September 2019.

 

 

Aerodrome manual of standards released

 

 

An updated manual of standards for the aerodrome regulations has been released. The manual of standards for Part 139 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations sets out safety standards for a wide range of technical matters relating to the physical construction and maintenance of certified aerodromes. The manual has been updated to reflect changes in the aerodromes sector, technology and best practice. Changes mean Australia enhances its level of compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. This will benefit pilots, as all aerodromes will have more consistent visual aids and operational procedures. The Part 139 manual of standards can be used as a practical manual for aerodrome operators and people involved in constructing, maintaining and operating aerodromes. CASA will also publish a suite of guidance materials to provide practical support on many aerodrome regulatory issues. This guidance will further explain the technical requirements of the manual of standards and will use plain language, models, diagrams and case studies to clarify acceptable means of compliance. It will include sample manuals. There was extensive consultation on the updated Part 139 manual of standards during its drafting. It takes effect immediately on 22 August 2020, with a two-year transition period.

 

Go to the Part 139 Manual of Standards.

 

 

Attention all top end pilots

 

 

Pilots flying across the top end should mark Wednesday 9 October 2019 in their calendars now. That’s when CASA will be holding a special seminar about flying in the wet season. This seminar will focus on a fatal 2017 wet season accident near Darwin involving a Cessna 210. It offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from a senior Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigator who will analyse the causal factors behind the crash. Presenters at the seminar will apply a number of planning and decision-making models to the facts surrounding the accident. The wet season seminar is an important opportunity to help pilots flying across northern Australia make better and more rational decisions when managing many of the hazards associated with wet season flying. The seminar is free and being held in Darwin at the Mercure Darwin Airport Resort Hotel from 19:30 on 9 October 2019.

 

Book your place at the wet season seminar now.

 

 

Stay alive – don’t push it!

 

 

A new campaign has been launched to reduce the number of weather-related general aviation accidents. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says 21 people were killed in the last 10 years in accidents where visual flight rules pilots flew into cloud, fog or darkness. The ATSB’s Chief Commissioner Greg Hood says the figures are concerning. He said they show one in ten visual flight rules operations into instrument meteorological conditions resulted in fatal; accidents. “Weather-related general aviation accidents remain one of the ATSB’s most significant causes for concern in aviation safety; the often fatal outcomes of these accidents are all the more tragic because they are avoidable,” Mr Hood says. To remind pilots of the dangers and to highlight how to avoid a weather-related accident the ATSB has launched a new safety promotion campaign titled ‘Don’t push it, don’t go. Know your limits before flight’. The campaign highlights three key messages: the importance of thorough pre-flight planning and having alternate plans; that pressing on where there is the possibility of entering instrument meteorological conditions carries a significant risk of spatial disorientation; and the value of using a ‘personal minimums’ checklist to help manage flight risks. Flying into poor weather without the training and experience to do so can rapidly lead to spatial disorientation when a pilot cannot see the horizon. This then leads to incorrect control inputs and a resultant loss of control of an aircraft.

 

Learn more about the don’t push it, don’t go campaign.

 

 

All the info on wildlife hazards

 

 

Everyone with an interest in aviation wildlife hazards should check out the new web site of the Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group. Fresh features include a graphical overview of bird strikes over the past 25 years, statistics on the parts of an aircraft most commonly struck and the altitudes and locations strikes occur. The resources section of the website has been reorganised, with new resources to be added regularly to make it a one-stop-shop for wildlife hazard management information. Bird strikes happen every day and occur most commonly at airports when aircraft are landing or taking off. The majority of strikes happen at low altitudes: 50–60 per cent of bird strikes occur at zero to 50 feet, and 30 per cent between 50–500 feet. Bird strikes worldwide have accounted for 262 human fatalities since 1988 and destroyed 250 aircraft. The Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group is the primary aviation wildlife hazard management reference body in Australia. The group’s membership includes multiple aviation industry stakeholders and organisations, such as airlines, airports, Defence, air traffic control, government agencies, wildlife researchers and service providers.

 

Go to the wildlife hazard website.

 

 

In brief

 

 

• Have your say before 30 September 2019 on proposed new balloon regulations. CASA has issued a draft of Civil Aviation Safety Regulation Part 131 for comment. Part 131 covers hot air balloons, hot air airships, gas balloons and mixed gas/hot air balloons. The proposed rules aim to improve the focus of balloon transport operators on the potential for human and organisational factors to cause accidents.
   
  
• New rules came into effect on 1 September 2019 setting out a clear path for a pilot holding a commercial pilot balloon licence to progress from smaller to bigger balloon envelope sizes. The new rules also amend the qualifications for the chief pilot of a balloon air operator certificate holder.
   
  
• Comment by 27 September on proposals for a new self-study training pathway for aircraft maintenance engineers. The proposed new pathway would be similar to the CASA Basics Examinations/Schedule of Experience scheme that existed under the previous CAR 31 licensing system.
   
  
• Have your say on proposed regulatory changes about managing safety data and information. Proposed changes reflect the latest International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Comment by 22 October 2019.
   
  
• Comment by 30 September 2019 on proposed new rules covering flight operations, training and maintenance for sport and recreational aircraft administered by sports aviation bodies. Part 103 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations will replace and consolidate the various exemptions from regulations that currently apply to private sport and recreation flying. It will mean sport and recreational flying can continue largely unchanged. There are some new requirements relating to defects, data plates and aircraft towing.
   
  
• The new version of CASA’s online learning management system – AviationWorx - has been launched. Users can now log in through myCASA, find and manage courses more easily and view courses on a range of mobile devices.
   
  
• Don’t miss out on the new quarterly print edition of CASA’s Flight Safety Australia magazine. An annual subscription costs $39.95 and is full of valuable safety information and insights. Subscribe by 28 October to get the Summer edition in December. If you missed out on the Spring edition - featuring world champion Red Bull Air Race pilot Matt Hall - it’s now available as a back issue in the online store for $14.95, while stocks last.
   
  

 

 

Expecting the unexpected

 

 

The latest series of AvSafety seminars for pilots has the theme of ‘expect the unexpected’. Topics being covered include preflight planning, aeronautical decision making and checklists. Several case studies are examined covering weather, fuel, weight and balance and airspace infringements. The importance of in-flight decision making is also covered, including some of the traps in decision making. Participants discuss a case study involving fuel management from the point of view of in-flight decision making. Checklists are covered, including their history, importance and how to use them. Several safety occurrences are reviewed where the correct use of a checklist may have stopped the incident or accident occurring.

 

In October 2019 AvSafety seminars will be held at:

 

• Albany
   
  
• Armidale
   
  
• Canberra
   
  
• Clare Valley
   
  
• Coffs Harbour
   
  
• Horn Island
   
  
• Karratha
   
  
• Lilydale
   
  
• Moorabbin
   
  
• Mount Isa
   
  
• Murwillumbah
   
  
• Port Macquarie
   
  
• Port Lincoln
   
  
• Port Hedland
   
  
• Tamworth
   
  
• Tyabb.
   
  

 

Book a place at a pilot safety seminar now.

 

 

The human component of engineering

 

 

A new series of engineering AvSafety seminars is now underway. The theme of the seminars for engineers is ‘the human component’. Three key topics are being covered - engineering errors and the lessons learnt, the human component of engineering and proposed new general aviation maintenance and continued airworthiness regulations. CASA’s experts use a number of case studies to delve into engineering errors, lessons from mistakes and techniques for avoiding pitfalls. The focus is on exploring the human component of engineering and the cost factors involved in maintenance errors. Importantly there is also discussion about the proposed Part 43 general aviation maintenance regulations for private and air work operations. CASA’s aviation safety advisors welcome discussions and questions, both during and after the presentations. These seminars are a great opportunity to add to professional development, improve safety knowledge and build better teamwork.

 

In October 2019 engineering seminars are being held at:

 

• Archerfield
   
  
• Caloundra
   
  
• Darwin
   
  
• Horn Island
   
  
• Karratha
   
  
• Moorabbin
   
  
• Sunshine Coast.
   
  

 

Book a place now at an engineering seminar.

 

 

[SSCBD]

Application of Part 91—Aircraft to which Part 101, 103 or 131 applies (91.030) Part 91 does not apply to aircraft operated under:  › Part 101 - Unmanned aircraft and rockets  › Part 103 - Sport and recreational operations and  › Part 131 - Manned free balloons.

This provision to be reviewed when Parts 101, 103 and 131 are made.