A Report released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that the Kuwaiti flag tanker Al Deerah, loaded with cargo, had grounded in the Tamar River, Tasmania on 30 April 2000 due to factors related to the tide and the rate of turn in the river. The effects of starboard rudder used in the turn off Garden Island, combined with differing tidal strengths at the bow and the stern of the vessel and the inability to reduce the rapid rate of turn, were the main factors. The accident happened when the tanker,…

An ATSB investigation has found that fatigue cracking in an XPT axle led to a minor derailment of an XPT passenger service from Melbourne to Sydney on 9 February 2006 at Harden. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation into the derailment concluded that train ST22 derailed as a result of the axle completely fracturing and eventually derailing one wheel. Subsequent examinations by RailCorp, the train operator, led to the discovery of thirteen other XPT power car axles with surface defects, or cracks initiated by surface defects, in highly stressed areas. The ATSBs examination of…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has found that an engine room fire that occurred on board the Antarctic resupply ship LAstrolabe, on 11 November 2006, was the result of a fuel leak on the starboard main engine. On 5 November 2006, the Antarctic supply ship LAstrolabe sailed from the French Antarctic base at Dumont dUrville, bound for Hobart, Tasmania. On 7 November, the engineers discovered that the starboard main engines main fuel pump was leaking. They blanked off the main fuel pump and ran the engine using another fuel pump. At about 0530 on 11 November, while the ship was…

The ATSB has found that a collision occurred at level crossing near Elizabeth River (NT) on 20 October 2006 because the driver of a road-train truck did not stop at a Stop sign to give way to an approaching freight train. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation established that an adjacent road junction, low train conspicuity and a low expectation of seeing a train probably combined to mistakenly filter the truck drivers attention away from the importance of looking for a train. Consequently he did not see the approaching train, even though it is likely that he looked in that…

The mate of the container ship Bunga Teratai Satu allowed it to ground on Sudbury Reef off Cairns on 2 November 2000 because he was distracted by his wife's telephone conversation while in charge of the watch. This was the principal finding of a report into the accident released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) today. The mate had called his wife to the bridge wing while within mobile telephone range of the shore for her to speak to her mother and their children in Karachi. The mate was distracted from his duties while establishing the…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau today released its report on the Qantas B747-400 runway overrun accident at Bangkok International Airport on 23 September 1999. The ATSB investigation was undertaken under a delegation from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee of Thailand given on 18 November1999. ATSB Executive Director Kym Bills said: "The Qantas Bangkok runway overrun was a serious accident that fortunately did not result in fatalities and serious injuries. It was a wake-up call to Qantas who may have been lulled into a false sense of…

ATSB has received a large number of media calls referring to the article on page 1 of today's Sydney Morning Herald. The article incorrectly reflects the current status of ATSB's investigation and needs to be clarified. The ATSB's Executive Director has written a letter to the editor of the newspaper in the following terms: Editor Today's page 1 article "Ansett beats threat to shut it down" includes a number of statements purporting to reflect the current status of ATSB's investigation that are incorrect. ATSB's safety deficiency investigation was formally commenced on 11January2001 and…

Colmar Bruton have advised the ATSB that they experienced problems with their survey website, which meant returns were not accepted between Friday 25 May and Wednesday 30 May, although the site appeared to function correctly. The problem has been rectified and the site is ready to receive your comments at http://surveys.cbr.com.au/atsb "CLOSED" The ATSB values your views and invites you to have your say about its reports. If you previously participated in the survey, we extend a special invitation to resubmit your response, and thank you for your patience…

Today the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its report on the contaminated aviation gasoline (Avgas) investigation that followed the grounding of thousands of piston engine aircraft across eastern Australia in January 2000. The investigation found that a very small amount of an anti-corrosion chemical that was not removed in Mobil's avgas refining process in late 1999, and not detected by the usual tests, led to the safety problem. The ATSB has made 24 separate recommendations that include recommended safety actions for Mobil Oil…

If you have read an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation, research, or statistical report in the past 12 months the ATSB wants to hear from you. The ATSB is an operationally independent bureau within the Australian Government Department of Transport and Regional Services and is Australia prime agency for transport safety investigations. It is entirely separate from transport regulators and service providers; The Bureau investigates and produces reports and statistics on all modes of transport: rail…