Safety Recommendation
That Airservices Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
and the Australian Airports Association should jointly review
airside vehicle operation with a view to establishing national
operating standards and procedures (including vehicle colour,
lights and procedures).
I write responding to three recommendations which relate to
Tower operations and follow incidents in Perth and Tamworth.
Recommendation R20020036
That Airservices Australia, in conjunction with airport owners,
review the adequacy of equipment and procedures that allow drivers
of all vehicles using airport runways to monitor the aerodrome
controller radio frequency.
Airservices Australia accepts this recommendation.
In relation to activities in Perth, a number of joint workshops
involving the Airport owner in Perth, Airside operators and
Airservices Australia have occurred as a result a number of local
vehicle operating procedures have been modified to enhance
safety.
Airservices Australia is committed to working with other parties to
investigate ways to effect standardisation at major airports, the
aim being to ensure that all vehicles on active runways be required
to be on aerodrome control frequency. Airservices Australia will
inform the Australian Transport Safety Bureau of progress when this
comes to hand.
Recommendation R20020040
That Airservices Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and
the Australian Airports Association should jointly review airside
vehicle operation with a view to establishing national operating
standards and procedures (including vehicle colour, lights and
procedures).
Airservices Australia accepts this recommendation.
It is the intent of Airservices Australia that any traffic
management changes identified in the workshops conducted in
relation to ATSB recommendation R20020036 be reviewed for national
implementation. Airservices Australia however would like to
acknowledge that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has regulatory
governance over aspects of airside vehicular operations through
CASR 139, and any suggested national changes that effect this
regulation would require their agreement.
Recommendation 2002 0080
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that Airservices
Australia ensure that procedures for parallel runway operations at
Tamworth are in compliance with the Manual of Air Traffic
Services.
Airservices Australia accepts this recommendation.
This recommendation relates to Parallel Runway Operations at Class
D Towers specifically Tamworth. Airservices Australia has been
working with the Department of Defence, joint author of the Manual
of Air Traffic Control, to develop appropriate procedures and then
manage their implementation. On the 17'h of October, the group meet
with the ATC staff at Tamworth and local operators outlining the
solution strategy and discussing implementation. Requests for
change have been drafted for AIP and MATS following this input. The
aim is to implement the proposed changes at the next MATS AIRAC
date,
ie 17th April 2003.
If you have any queries on these responses, please do not hesitate
to contact me.
Re ATSB recommendations arising from ATSB Report 200102695
Further to the 14 May 2003 meeting regarding Australian Transport
Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation 200102696 - Sweeper on Runway,
please find below Airservices Australia's responses in relation to
each of the recommendations made in the investigation report.
With respect to ATSB Recommendation 20020036:
That Airservices Australia, in conjunction with airport owners,
review the adequacy of equipment and procedures that allow drivers
of all vehicles using airport runways to monitor the aerodrome
controller radio frequency.
Airport Services have initiated changes to local procedures to
ensure that vehicles that will enter and remain on a duty runway
shall be controlled on the tower ADC frequency. The following
points identify the four towers that require this change and the
anticipated changeover date.
Perth - Anticipated changeover date: 1 September 2003.
Adelaide - Anticipated changeover date: Mid September 2003.
Melbourne - Anticipated changeover date: Mid September 2003.
Canberra - Anticipated changeover date: Date to be advised
(changeover to occur
following Melbourne changeover).
With respect to ATSB Recommendation 20020040:
That Airservices Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and
the Australian Airports Association should jointly review airside
vehicle operation with a view to establishing national operating
standards and procedures (including vehicle colour, lights and
procedures).
A meeting between stakeholders was held on 14 May 2003. A copy of
the minutes are attached.
Airport Services will be requesting a change to CASR 139 MOS 8.10.4
as follows:
Delete paragraph 8.10.4.1.
Amend paragraph 8.10.4.2 to read:
A vehicle used regularly on the movement area must be marked either
by using a flashing dome light on top of the vehicle in accordance
with Paragraph 9.19.1 or, by day only, by flags.
This results in the minimum requirement for airside vehicles to be
equipped with either the lights, or flags by day, and removes any
reference to preferred colours.
