The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) today released a report on the circumstances of a serious incident where a fare-paying scheduled passenger flight encountered microburst windshear near Brisbane last year. Windshear is a change in wind speed and/or direction, including updrafts and downdrafts. An aircraft may experience a significant deterioration in flight performance when exposed to windshear of sufficient intensity or duration. On 18 January 2001, a Boeing 737-476 aircraft (VH-TJX) encountered microburst windshear at 7.29am while conducting a go-around from runway 19 at…

On 18 November 2001, a ballast tank of the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier Nego Kim exploded killing eight crew members. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has found that the explosion occurred when volatile paint fumes inside the inadequately ventilated tank were ignited. The ATSB released the results of its investigation today. The report states: The explosion occurred at 4.40pm on Sunday 18 November 2001, when the ship was anchored inside Dampier port limits waiting to load a cargo of scrap metal. Prior to the explosion, eight crew members had spent two hours…

The ATSB today released its interim report on the fatal accident involving a Piper PA-28-161 aircraft and a Socata TB-9 aircraft near Bankstown Aerodrome on 5 May 2002. Four people died in the accident, which occurred when the Piper (call sign VH-IBK) and Socata aircraft (call sign VH-JTV) collided about 2km ESE of the aerodrome, while on final approach to the runway. The Piper aircraft had departed Wagga Wagga at about 1.34pm that day on a private flight to Bankstown, with a private licensed pilot and three passengers on board. The Socata aircraft, with a flight instructor and student pilot…

At approximately 1745 hrs on 26 September 2002, a single-engine Piper Cherokee Six aircraft, with 6 people on board crashed and caught fire shortly after take-off from Hamilton Island. All occupants were fatally injured. A team of Transport Safety Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is expected to arrive at the scene of the accident sometime during the afternoon today to commence an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragedy. The investigator-in-charge (IIC) of this accident is expected to give a media briefing from the accident site at 1500 hrs…

Container ship's contact with a navigational beacon in Moreton Bay.

ATSB releases preliminary report on Hamilton Island crash

Air Safety Investigation Report 200100348 Fact Sheet

The ATSB is pleased that Coroner Hope has adopted much of the material in ATSB's final report on the tragic VH-SKC accident and stated that "ultimately it appears that the ATSB report was based on a substantial amount of scientific investigation and many issues were diligently pursued" (p21). The Coroner also cites (eg p6) the evidence of Dr Brock who was a consultant to the ATSB and part of the ATSB investigation team. The Coroner concludes (p55) that: "It appears that the aircraft was unpressurised for a significant period of its climb and for the subsequent flight. While it is possible…

ATTENTION: Editors/Chief of Staff, Aviation/transport writers The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is Australia's prime transport safety investigation agency and conducts independent investigation of civil aviation accidents, incidents and safety deficiencies. The ATSB also has safety roles in other transport modes including maritime and rail investigation, statistical analysis and research, and coordination of the National Road Safety Strategy. A small dedicated Communications & Information (C&I) team handles inquiries from local, interstate and international…

The final report on the Beech Super King Air 200 VH-SKC accident, in which all eight occupants died when a charter flight from Perth on 4 September 2000 overflew Leonora and then the NT before crashing near Burketown QLD, was released today by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. ATSB Executive Director, Kym Bills, made the following statement: "Based on the available evidence, including voice analysis of air traffic control tapes, the investigation concluded that the pilot and passengers were probably incapacitated as a result of hypobaric (altitude) hypoxia due to the…