Recommendation

Thank you for providing the Authority with a copy of Aviation
Occurrence Brief 200203094 on the incident involving a Boeing 737
aircraft registered VH-TJT and a Cessna 500 Citation aircraft
registered VH-HKX, which occurred at 324km NNE Melbourne VOR on 8
July 2002.



The Authority has considered the Brief and provides the following
comments in response to the recommendation below.



R20030058



The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that the Civil
Aviation Safety Authority review the Table of Cruising Levels in
AIP and its continuing relevance.



CASA response



The Table of Cruising Levels in AIP gives flight levels for
aircraft to be flown depending upon their direction of flight and
is intended to ensure that aircraft going in different directions
are not at the same level during cruise. It applies to aircraft in
controlled airspace (although ATC can override it for aircraft
under their control) and outside controlled airspace (where
aircraft arrange separation between themselves without ATC
involvement).



In CASA's opinion, the table was not pertinent to the breakdown of
vertical separation in this case because ATC, by authorising
non-standard levels, did not adhere to it. However, the Authority
does consider the table to be relevant to aircraft operations in a
broader sense.



Thank you for bringing this matter to the attention of the
Authority.