The ATSB has found that the engine room fire on board the general cargo ship Baltimar Boreas off Newcastle, on 9 February 2007, started after diesel oil leaking from a failed fuel hose on one of the ship's generator engines ignited. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found that long term wear from chafing caused the flexible fuel hose to fail. Inadequate maintenance, use of longer than specified hoses and temporary repairs contributed to the poor condition of a number of hoses on the ship's generators. The length of the fuel hoses, as designed, was also not consistent with…

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has found that a fatal level crossing accident at Back Creek in central western NSW at about 1830 on 10 March 2007 occurred when the semi-trailer driver drove into the path of an empty grain train. The driver sustained fatal injuries in the collision. The ATSB today released a report regarding the collision. The semi-trailer was trapped under the leading locomotive and dragged onto the rail bridge over a watercourse adjacent to the level crossing. During the collision sequence, the leading locomotive and semi-trailer prime mover…

The ATSB has found that a fatal collision between a Patrick Portlink freight train and a small passenger van occurred when the motorist drove into the path of the train at the Moloney Road level crossing near Virginia, SA. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the collision on 16 November 2007 concluded that the motorist's familiarity with the crossing and low expectation of encountering a train were probably factors that contributed to the collision Alternatively, the motorist may simply have had a lapse of concentration and failed to stop. Both occupants of the van were fatally…

The ATSB was advised on Friday 25 July of an accident involving a Qantas aircraft. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 was operating a scheduled passenger service from Hong Kong to Melbourne Australia. At approximately 29,000 feet, the crew were forced to conduct an emergency descent after a section of the fuselage separated and resulted in a rapid decompression of the cabin. The crew descended the aircraft to 10,000 feet in accordance with established procedures and diverted the aircraft to Manila where a safe landing was carried out. The aircraft taxied to the terminal unassisted, where the…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was advised this afternoon of a serious incident involving a Qantas aircraft. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 was operating a scheduled passenger service from Hong Kong to Melbourne Australia. At approximately 29,000 feet, the crew were forced to conduct an emergency descent after a section of the fuselage separated and resulted in a rapid decompression of the cabin. The crew descended the aircraft to 10,000 feet in accordance with established procedures and diverted the aircraft to Manila where a safe landing was carried out. The aircraft taxied to the…

The ATSB has found that a collision between the Indian Pacific passenger train and a tip truck occurred when the driver of the truck drove into the side of the train at the Moloney Road level crossing in SA. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has today released its final report into the collision which occurred on 13 December 2007. At the time of the accident road traffic at the crossing was controlled by 'Stop' signs and approach warning signs. The investigation established that the truck did not come to a halt at the 'Stop' sign and concluded that the truck driver's familiarity with the…

Today the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is releasing its Preliminary Factual report on the depressurisation of Boeing 747-438, VH-OJK, 475 km northwest of the Philippines, while being operated on a scheduled passenger flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne on 25 July 2008. It is important to note that the information contained in the preliminary factual report, as the name suggests, is limited to preliminary factual information that has been establish in the initial investigation of the accident. Caution should be exercised that there is the possibility that new evidence may become available…

The following is the text of the media briefing given by Ms Kerryn Macaulay, Director, Strategy and Capability, at 10am 14 November 2008. Good morning. I am releasing the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Preliminary Factual report on the in-flight upset of an Airbus A330 aircraft, registered as VH-QPA, which occurred 154 km west of Learmonth, Western Australia, while being operated on a scheduled passenger flight (Qantas Flight 72) from Singapore to Perth on 7 October 2008. The ATSB immediately commenced an investigation into this accident[i] and has been working collaboratively with our…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was advised yesterday afternoon of an occurrence involving an Airbus A330-300 aircraft while on a flight from Singapore to Perth, operating as Qantas Flight 72. The aircraft, which had 303 passengers and 10 crew on board, was in normal level flight at 37,000 ft about 110 nautical miles north of Carnarvon and 80 nautical miles from Learmonth near Exmouth in north-western Australia, when the pilots received electronic centralised aircraft monitoring messages in the cockpit relating to some irregularity with the aircraft's elevator control system. The…

The ATSB has found that a collision between The Ghan passenger train and a loaded sewage truck occurred when the driver of the truck drove into the path of the train at a private road level crossing at 'Murrow Farm' near Two Wells in SA. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has today released its final investigation report into the collision which occurred on 6 August 2007 seriously injuring the truck driver. At the time of the accident road traffic at the level crossing was controlled by 'Stop' signs. The ATSB found that the truck driver did not stop and did not see the train until he was…