The supplementary ATSB investigation report into the Whyalla Airlines fatal accident tabled in the Senate today confirms the likelihood of the ATSB's accident scenario in its December 2001 report in contrast to the findings of the SA State Coroner in July 2003. In November last year the ATSB formally re-opened its investigation into the VH-MZK accident after possible significant new evidence about a potential manufacturing defect in the left engine crankshaft steel became available from the US engine manufacturer: - ATSB re-testing of the crankshaft, including using independently witnessed…

The ATSB's report into the Epping rail accident reinforces the limitations of reliance on automatic train stops and 'deadman's handle' devices in the event of driver incapacitation and highlights the importance of improving these defences as well as medical standards and processes for train crew. The sole purpose of ATSB investigations is to improve future safety and the Bureau acknowledges the safety actions taken through the Victorian Department of Infrastructure as a result of ATSB's investigation such as reviewing signalling systems and defences, developing new medical standards and…

Presentation given by Mr Kym Bills, Executive Director Australian Transport Safety Bureau Department of Transport and Regional Services Speech presented 7 Aug 2006 <?UMBRACO_MACRO attachment="1607" macroAlias="AttachmentLink" />

The increasing cooperation between Australian transport safety investigators and their counterparts from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has been recognised by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding this morning. The Memorandum was signed by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), representing 12 Independent States: Azerbaidjan, Armenia, Belorus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmena, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. This agreement sets out protocols for the sharing of expertise and…

Speech given to International Transport Safety Association by Kym Bills Executive Director, Australian Transport Safety Bureau 15 May 2007

Rail 2007, Sydney NSW, 3 April 2007

Overview Australia has a very safe transport system in international terms across all modes However, major accidents are low probability, high consequence events and we can never afford to be complacent Human factors associated with well-known human performance continue to dominate Systemic investigations remain crucial but pro-active reporting and data analysis also provide for evidence-based risk reduction.

Spoken by Mr Kym Bills, Executive Director, Australian Transport Safety Bureau 23 July 2007

The ATSB has found that the tanker, Dampier Spirit, did not have sufficient speed to safely evade a cyclone that was approaching the coast of Western Australia after its mooring hawser failed on 6 April 2006. Dampier Spirit is a floating storage and offloading tanker for the Stag oil platform near Dampier, Western Australia, that is usually attached to a mooring buoy one nautical mile from the platform. At the time of the incident, the 106 668 tonne tanker had a partial load of about 12 100 tonnes of crude oil on board. At 0958 on 6 April 2006, the ship was forced to put to sea as Cyclone…

The ATSB has found that a fire on board the Singapore registered ship Java Sea on 24 May 2005 started when hot pressurised thermal oil, possibly in the form of a spray, came into contact with an un-lagged section of the thermal oil heater exhaust piping. The fire was further fuelled by the contents of oil storage tanks located near the seat of the fire. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found that the fixed fire extinguishing system was ineffective in extinguishing the fire because the ship's crew could not close the funnel casing ventilation dampers; the diesel generator…