A media conference presenting the ATSB's investigation findings and recommendations on the 26 September 2002 accident of Piper Cherokee Six registration VH-MAR in which the pilot and five passengers were fatally injured will be held at 11.00 am, Thursday 18 March 2004. Who: Mr Kym Bills (Executive Director)When: 18 March 2004 (1100 ESuT)Where: ATSB Headquarters (15 Mort Street, Canberra City) The report will then be available on the website www.atsb.gov.au. Note: Media are requested to assemble in the foyer at 15 Mort Street 15 minutes prior to the conference, from where they will be escorted…

A media conference discussing the fatal helicopter accident on 22 November 2004 near Dubbo in New South Wales will be held today, Tuesday 23 November 2004. When: 14:30 local time (NSW)Where: 12 kms south-west of Dunedoo, New South Wales (accident site) The ATSB's Investigator at the site will only discuss factual events known to the investigation team at the time. Any person/witness with information about the accident is encouraged to contact the ATSB on 1800 020 616 and will be put in touch with an investigator. With the exception of this media conference all media contact will continue to…

In releasing our final investigation report the ATSB's hope is that this tragic accident should be a reminder for all pilots of the dangers of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) especially during approach and landing in dark night conditions and at times of inclement weather with reduced visibility and into unfamiliar aerodromes. The Bureau is a member of the International Flight Safety Foundation and the Bureau's report highlights the extensive research undertaken by the Flight Safety Foundation into the CFIT phenomenon and the benefit of their education and prevention programs, which are…

[slide 1] Note: Presentation slide references. Thank you, Mr Chairman and good morning ladies and gentlemen. As most of you know, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau was established on the 1st of July 1999 and you will see in your delegate's information folders that the ATSB's mission [slide 2] is to maintain and improve transport safety and public confidence through independent 'no blame' investigations which seek to uncover the causal factors that led…

Speech delivered to Asia-Pacific Coroners' Conference, Hobart, Tasmania on ATSB fatality investigations in Australia and the Asia Pacific by Mr Kym Bills, Executive Director, Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Presentation given to Waypoint 2007 on Investigation and data issues.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has received international recognition for outstanding work in its Investigation into Ansett Australia maintenance safety deficiencies and the control of continuing airworthiness of Class A aircraft report. In Washington earlier this week, the prestigious Flight Safety Foundation 2003 Cecil A Brownlow Publication Award went to the ATSB for extraordinary efforts in identifying, investigating and reporting on a systemic problem affecting aviation safety worldwide. The ATSB's report, released in November 2002, highlighted that a robust system for…

Partnerships & Cooperation in an Environment of Resource Constraints & Security Imperatives There is a tension between independent safety investigation with accident site control and other legitimate investigation that entails cooperation Also, resource constraints affect most States The tension is exacerbated by growth of security in terms of resources and uncertainty whether an event is the result of unlawful interference Cooperation with other investigations with appropriate boundaries will be critical, also bilateral and regional partnerships/MOUs <?UMBRACO_MACRO attachment="…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been advised of a fatal aviation accident involving a Piper Seneca aircraft, VH-CTT which occurred at Bankstown Airport at about 12.52 (AEDST) today. At this point in time details available to the Bureau are sketchy. A team of Transport Safety Investigators is enroute to Bankstown and is expected to arrive on-site this evening. Any further Information as to the Bureau's involvement will be released as it becomes available. Witnesses to this accident are asked to call the Bureau on 1800 020 616

The ATSB supports safety recommendations the SA Coroner has made today that reinforce those by the ATSB, but disagrees with some of the Coroner's key conclusions. The ATSB formally re-opened its investigation in November last year after possible significant new evidence about a potential manufacturing defect in the left engine crankshaft became available from the US engine manufacturer (Textron Lycoming) - the ATSB has since re-tested the crankshaft, including using destructive testing open to non-Bureau witnesses and the input of external laboratories, and found no problems with the steel…