The concern related to the safety culture within an organisation conducting charter and aerial work operations.
The reporter expressed a safety concern relating to the safety culture at the operator.
The reporter advised that in September or October 2014, while an aircraft was being taxied for a charter flight, an undercarriage mount separated from the airframe. This incident was not reported as required under the Transport Safety Regulations 2003 to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
The reporter is concerned that this incident, along with not reporting it to the authorities as required, shows a casual attitude to aircraft maintenance and that the operator’s aircraft may not be maintained to the appropriate standard for charter aircraft.
I can advise that in December 2013 I had a partial failure of the right main leg while taxiing on a private flight. The aircraft was a Cessna [type and registration] which I have owned since [year].
The aircraft was repaired in accordance with normal practices.
I have been involved with this aircraft type since the mid 1960's when it was a new type - mainly on agricultural operations. The undercarriage support area regularly gave trouble and was often replaced as a known weakness, so much so as to give rise to after-market modifications becoming popular.
As a result of all this I did not consider it warranted wasting your time on such a well-known failure.
During my ownership of the aircraft, this is the first time any fault has occurred outside of normal maintenance issues. Similarly there have been no faults with the other aircraft in my fleet.
ATSB comment
The ATSB confirmed with the operator that there was no incident in September/October 2014.
CASA has reviewed the REPCON and is in contact with the operator. CASA will continue to monitor this matter.
If the landing gear mount had failed during a charter flight resulting in minor damage to the aircraft this would be a routinely reportable matter in accordance with the Transport Safety Investigation Regulations 2003 2.4 (1) (b).
The operator has stated that the landing gear mount failed during a private flight with minor damage, which is not a reportable matter under the Transport Safety Investigation Regulations 2003.