CASA Briefing newsletter - January 2010

[Admin]

From Director of Aviation Safety

 

John McCormick

 

 

[imgALIGN=left]http://casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/media/gallery/images/mccormick/mccormick1.jpg[/imgALIGN]CASA has a full agenda for the year ahead, with a commitment to making further improvements to the way we operate and to achieving important milestones in the development of new regulations. The federal government’s aviation white paper, released late last year, sets out a clear framework for a range of activities and provides us with a number of challenges in meeting emerging safety issues. Having a government blueprint for aviation is certainly positive, not just for the regulator but for all sectors of the industry. It gives everyone greater certainty about strategic directions and encourages co-operation and participation in building Australian aviation’s future. I can assure you CASA is committed to playing its part in leading improvements in safety, particularly where opportunities exist for adopting new technologies. In terms of developing new regulations, the maintenance suite will be put in place this year and the aim is to complete legal drafting of the passenger transport flight operations and licensing regulations. I know the development of these regulations has been beset with delays, however, we are putting in place the appropriate resources to move steadily towards finalising the suites.

 

I was pleased to able to travel to Jandakot airport earlier this month to talk with individuals, organisations and the Jandakot Airport Chamber of Commerce. A number of concerns have been raised by people working at Jandakot about the changes CASA made to GAAP procedures last year and I appreciated the opportunity to hear these first hand. In general I found a good understanding of why CASA needed to make changes to GAAP operations and support for the just introduced increase in the GAAP circuit cap from six aeroplanes to eight. I assured everyone that work to introduce US-based class D procedures at GAAP aerodromes was well underway and CASA was committed to this reform.

 

Best regards

 

John F McCormick

 

GAAP changes now in place

 

Changes to operations at the six general aviation aerodrome procedures airports came into effect on 18 January. The changes increase the maximum number of aeroplanes permitted for circuit operations from six to eight. This applies to aeroplanes under the control of one air traffic controller. Traffic arriving and departing GAAP control zones will be managed by air traffic control, with no limitation on numbers imposed by CASA. The change to the circuit cap was made after a review by CASA, which found pilots and operators now have a heightened awareness of the operational risks associated with flying at GAAP aerodromes.

 

GAAP aerodromes are scheduled to move to class D airspace from 3 June 2010. This commencement date for class D aligns with the aviation documentation amendment cycle and will ensure all publications and charts include the new procedures. Australia will be adopting class D procedures based upon the US Federal Aviation Administration class D procedures. The six aerodromes to move to class D are Archerfield, Bankstown, Camden, Moorabbin, Parafield and Jandakot.

 

Find out more about the GAAP changes.

 

Keeping safe during low visibility

 

The aviation industry is being asked to comment on a package of proposals to improve safety during low visibility operations. CASA has published a notice of proposed rule making on instrument flight rules minima and low visibility operations. The changes would introduce common standards and requirements for low visibility operations and more closely align Australian standards with those of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Under the proposals aircraft operational approvals and aerodrome infrastructure requirements would be aligned around trigger visibility criteria of 800 metres, 550 metres and 350 metres. This increases the current standard take off visibility minimum and the exemption minimum by 50 metres. The approach ban ‘limit’ would be standardised for both precision and non-precision approaches at the point an aircraft descends through 1000 feet above an aerodrome level. Revised ICAO visibility minima would be adopted for precision approach category II, IIIA and IIIB and ICAO standards for runway touchdown and aiming point markings would be also adopted. Other proposals include more closely aligning Australian aerodrome infrastructure requirements with ICAO standards and recommended practices and permitting an alternative aerodrome lighting system.

 

CASA is proposing a three year period for aerodrome operators to assess an appropriate level of capability for their aerodrome and either put the required infrastructure in place or set operational limits. The proposed changes were developed following wide consultation with the aviation industry, with a discussion paper issued in 2007. Comments on the notice of proposed rule making, which was issued in December 2009, must be lodged by Friday 12 February 2010.

 

Find out more about low visibility proposals.

 

DVD teaches situational awareness

 

Pilots now have a new tool to learn more about the safety-critical skills that make up situational awareness. CASA has produced a 28 minute DVD which looks in depth at a range of issues relating to situational awareness. The DVD will be an asset to all pilots, regardless of their level of experience or skills. It is presented by pilot and entertainer James Morrison and includes interviews with an aviation doctor, psychologist, chief flying instructor, pilots, a Red Bull air race pilot and CASA safety experts. Several real life events are recounted by pilots who almost crashed due to losing situational awareness. The DVD gives a definition of situational awareness as “what’s happened, what’s happening and what might happen”. There is strong emphasis on the need to prepare and plan for every flight – not just for hours but for days. Techniques required for maintaining situational awareness are looked at, including the skills needed for successful visual scanning. The DVD concludes by telling all pilots they must continue to train, teach and test themselves during every flight to maintain and improve situational awareness.

 

Order the situational awareness DVD - Look Out! - on-line here.

 

Making aerial fire fighting safer

 

Work is underway to simplify and standardise procedures for Australia’s aerial fire fighting operations. CASA is working with the National Aerial Fire Fighting Centre to develop a standard operations manual for aerial fire fighting activities. This will help to improve the way in which aerial fire fighting is conducted, both by air operators and the various fire authorities. The aerial fire-fighting industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, outgrowing its roots in aerial agriculture and developing into a distinct industry sector. It now encompasses everything from light aircraft carrying out spotting and incendiary dropping, through specialist helicopters, to converted airliners dropping large quantities of fire control agents. The new manual will address the fact that in fire fighting operations there are crews and teams of people from different operators and states working in one fire zone. This means it is very important to have common procedures in place and take a holistic view of the issues facing fire fighting teams. The new manual will also benefit CASA’s inspectors in assessing fire fighting operations as all authorities will be working from the same set of procedures and guidelines.

 

Flight rules to be made clearer

 

Flight rules are to be clarified to eliminate any ambiguity about operations that move between instrument flight rules and visual flight rules. CASA has set up a project to develop changes to the Aeronautical Information Package, advisory materials and associated documents to clarify compliance with flight rules. The main issue is a lack of clarity between a pilot filing an instrument flight rules flight plan and the actual flight operating rules being used – instrument or visual. Currently there is a provision to nominate on a flight plan notification visual flight rules for the first or last leg of an instrument flight rules flight. But this does not cover all of the options that may be available to a pilot. The project outline says: “The procedure detail for ‘IFR pickup’ has been removed from the AIP. This project does not propose to resurrect the phrase, but expand the availability and flexibility which was the original intent”.

 

Changes will make it clear to pilots and air traffic control that the air traffic services provided are those applicable to both the flight rules and the class of airspace, rather than the expected flight rules nominated on the flight plan notification. The Aeronautical Information package and related documents will explain that a pilot who chooses to move from instrument flight rules to visual flight rules is merely amending the flight plan, not closing or cancelling it.

 

Find out more about the flight rules project.

 

Speak up on how we use simulators

 

Aircraft operators, pilots and flight simulator training organisations are being urged to have their say on the concept of mandating simulator training for pilots operating a range of aircraft. CASA has issued a discussion paper on mandatory flight simulator training to explore a range of issues including what types of training would be better provided by a simulator, which emergency operations training could be required in a simulator and the availability and location of simulators. Currently there is no regulatory requirement for simulator training in Australia. A number of serious accidents and incidents have occurred in aircraft during flight training for emergencies such as an engine failure. Overseas a number of regulators require simulators to be used where non-normal or emergency procedures training is conducted or for training in large aircraft.

 

The discussion paper puts forward 12 options for consideration. These cover flight training operations, the scope for using simulators in terms of aircraft types or operations and whether mandatory simulator training should be imposed only if suitable devices exist in Australia. The discussion paper says there are dangers in conducting simulated emergencies in actual aircraft and simulator technology and availability has advanced in recent years. However, CASA is aware of the likely impacts on the aviation industry of mandating simulator training so no proposal is being made until all interested parties have an opportunity to make comments and suggestions. Comments should be made by Friday 19 February 2010.

 

Read the simulator discussion paper.

 

Keeping flight records longer – new project

 

Consideration is being given to new requirements covering the retention of flight recorder records. CASA has set up a project to examine how long and in what circumstances flight recorder records should be required to be kept. This follows a recommendation from the last International Civil Aviation Organisation audit of Australia. ICAO said there should be requirements for holders of air operator’s certificates to preserve as far as possible all flight recorder records in safe custody in the event of an accident or incident, pending “their disposition as determined in accordance with ICAO Annex 13”. CASA is proposing to include this requirement in the new operational regulations – Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. However, as Part 91 is still some time from being finalised it is proposed to amend Civil Aviation Order 82.0 to implement the requirement.

 

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau already has powers to obtain a flight data recorder, records or data necessary to conduct its investigations. The proposed amendment to the Civil Aviation Orders would provide the ATSB with the ability to at a time after an accident or incident to seek evidential material that was not sought immediately. Air operators may be required by legislation to retain such material.

 

Find out more about the flight recorder project.

 

Pilots tell: weather the top threat to safety

 

Adverse weather has been identified as the top threat to safety in low capacity air transport operations and aerial work operations. A study by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found adverse weather, turbulence and instrument meteorological conditions were rated as the top threat to safety by almost 20 per cent of pilots. Low capacity regular public transport and charter pilots rated operational pressure, traffic congestion, communication and air traffic control errors and fatigue as the next highest threats. Aerial work pilots ranked traffic congestion, communication and air traffic errors, operational pressure and maintenance events as the next top threats. The study analysed information provided by 167 pilots from low capacity regular public transport and charter operations, flying training, aerial agriculture aerial survey and emergency services. Three quarters of the pilots worked in single pilot operations and 66 per cent were instructors or provided check and training.

 

Pilots were also asked to identify errors, with procedural errors being the most commonly reported. In low capacity air transport the most common error was non-compliance with standard operating procedures, followed by mistakes in communication, planning and following checklists. Aerial work pilots identified the most common error as checklist mistakes, followed by radio misuse, communication errors, non-compliance with standard operating procedures and poor planning. The study report provides advice on how to manage and reduce errors.

 

Read the threat and error report.

 

VHF radio system upgrade

 

Air-ground-air voice aviation communication equipment at 100 of around 150 sites across Australia has now been upgraded. The work is being done by Airservices Australia to modernise and upgrade the VHF radio communication network. In a statement Airservices Australia said it is replacing outmoded radios, aerials and network equipment with state-of-the-art hardware as part of an eight year, $46m VHF system upgrade project. The VHF system provides crucial communication links between air traffic controllers in the centres in Brisbane and Melbourne and aircraft travelling across the country. There are around 590 radio transceivers located at more than 150 sites across Australia. The system upgrade will enhance reliability and allow remote monitoring and defect rectification by Airservices technical staff. It also introduces additional system redundancy and back-up capability, improving the long-term safety and security of Airservices operations. Ultimately, all VHF services will be transitioned onto digital bearers as part of a separate multi-million dollar upgrade of Airservices own national telecommunications infrastructure. The VHF system upgrade project is due to be completed in mid-2010.

 

Latest AOC survey underway

 

The latest CASA safety questionnaire for the holders of air operator's certificates is underway. Air operators are surveyed every six months to ensure CASA holds accurate and up-to-date operational information on the aviation industry. The focus of the surveys is on air operators that carry passengers, although all commercial activities are covered. The January 2010 survey will cover all air operators, except high capacity regular public transport. CASA anticipates the survey should take air operators who have maintained ongoing data of their activities only about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

 

The survey asks for information about operations between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009. Information is required on each aircraft operated under the air operator's certificate, such as hours flown and the number of landings. Information is also sought on maintenance arrangements, numbers of pilots and key personnel. An email and letter has been sent to all air operators with a link to the survey form. Operators have 28 days to complete the survey from the start date. If air operators do not receive this information from CASA about the survey by 5 February 2010 they are asked to contact CASA.

 

To ask questions about the survey or tell CASA you have not been sent a survey, please phone Julie Codyre on 131 757 extension 1841 or email [email protected]