The placement of three empty rollingstock platforms immediately behind the locomotive was one of a number of key factors that combined to cause a freight train to derail at Glenalta, South Australia on 21 November 2004, according to an ATSB investigation report released today. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report states that the accident occurred after a single freight wagon bogie derailed over a set of points at Belair. A wheel contacted and lifted on top of a check-rail. The check-rail is designed to guide a wheel in the correct direction through the points. However, in this case…

The ATSB has found that severe corrosion over a long period led to two deaths when a lifeboat fell 16 metres during a safety drill. The two crew died and three were seriously injured in a lifeboat accident on board the Hong Kong registered Lowlands Grace while the ship was anchored off Port Hedland, Western Australia, on 7 October 2004. The five casualties were members of the crew who had boarded one of the ship's lifeboats during a planned lifeboat drill. While it was being lowered, the lifeboat's after on-load release hook failed and released the stern of the 3.5 tonne boat from its davit…

A preliminary report by the ATSB into the five-fatality parachuting centre accident near Willowbank, QLD on 2 January has found several areas of safety interest in the engine's turbocharger and the fuel used that will require further detailed analysis. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau preliminary findings reveal that the aircraft struck a 23 metre tree about 1,200 metres from the runway then crashed into a small dam 47 metres from the tree. Witness reports indicated that the engine apparently had a partial power loss that prevented it from climbing normally. The aircraft had been fitted…

A media conference discussing the progress of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding this collision on 12 December 2006 will be held today, Wednesday 13 December 2006. Where: The Grounds of the Mediterranean All Suite Hotel, 81 Cavenagh St Darwin. Time: 16:00 local time (Central Standard Time) Mr Peter Foley, Deputy Director Surface Safety Investigation, the investigator in charge, will discuss factual information known to the investigation team at this time and will outline the investigation process. Any person/witness with information about the accident is encouraged to…

Kym Bills B.A. (Hons), B.Ec., B.Litt., M.Sc., M. Min., FCILT, FAIM, FAICD, FRGS, FRAI, MSIAExecutive Director ATSB, 28 October 2005, Keynote speech 10:15 am [slide 1 ATSB logo] Chairman (Group Capt Noddy Sawade), Executive Chairman Peter Lloyd, distinguished guests and colleagues [slide 2 title page] I was delighted that the Safeskies Conference Board proposed the title for my talk of 'The role of the ATSB in the Systemic Management of Aviation Safety' because there appears to be a persistent level of ignorance, confusion and challenge to the role of the ATSB and like bodies around the world…

A crew member who jumped into the sea after being engulfed in flames probably reduced the severity of his burn injuries according to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation report released today. The ATSB report into the incident states that, at about 0840 on 21 April 2005, a crew member on board the Hong Kong bulk carrier Hui Shun Hai was working on a hydraulic oil pipeline on the main deck of the ship when the line parted, allowing pressurised hydraulic oil to escape. The oil ignited, and exploded, when it came into contact with the oxygen-acetylene flame the crew member…

As part of its national safety awareness campaign for commercial fishermen, announced in December 2004, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will be conducting a series of informal face-to-face meetings with fishermen in north Queensland ports. The aim of the meetings is to raise the awareness of commercial fishermen to similar causal factors, identified by the ATSB during investigations of 21 collisions between trading ships and fishing vessels conducted since 1990. The meetings will complement a safety bulletin, published by the ATSB in December 2004, and form an important part of…

A preliminary report by the ATSB into the four-fatality accident near Condobolin on 2 December indicates that there was no distress signal from the aircraft before it broke up in the vicinity of thunderstorms. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Preliminary Aviation Safety Investigation Report into the Piper Chieftain aircraft accident near Condobolin, NSW also found that structural failure spread wreckage along a 4 km path. An active frontal weather system, accompanied by a line of frequent thunderstorms, was passing through the Condobolin area at the time of the accident. There was no…

The ATSB's Final Aviation Safety Investigation Report, into a fatal helicopter wire strike accident at Dunedoo, NSW, has found that the pilot and passengers were generally aware of the location of the wire but the helicopter still struck it during its locust control operation. Workload and possible loss of concentration may have contributed. The pilot was conducting aerial spotting operations in a Bell Helicopter Model 206B on 22 November 2004 in support of locust control operations being administered by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. On board were two employees of the Rural Lands…

The ATSB has released recommendations to CASA relating to fitment of aircraft autopilot equipment and crew instrument approach qualifications as part of the investigation into the Lockhart River fatal accident on 7 May 2005. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that the Metroliner aircraft that crashed near Lockhart River on 7 May 2005 was not fitted with an autopilot and the copilot was not qualified to conduct the instrument approach the crew were conducting. Addressing both is seen by the ATSB as desirable to improve future safety. The aircraft was being operated on a scheduled…