This information bulletin is designed for cabin crew and will supplement your airline's cabin crew emergency procedures manual and should enhance your knowledge about what can occur during an aircraft depressurisation. Why are aircraft pressurised? Modern aircraft are designed to fly at high altitudes. For example, a Boeing 747 aircraft normally cruises at an altitude of 28,000 – 35,000 ft. This is because aircraft consume less fuel and fly in relatively smooth air, avoiding bad weather and turbulence. However, the human body is not designed to survive at such high…

In 2007 the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) produced the inaugural edition of Australian Aviation Safety in Review as part of the ATSB's role to enhance public awareness of aviation safety. The Review has been developed to provide a readily accessible analysis of the Australian aviation sector, with a strong focus on safety trends. This publication covers all major categories of aircraft operations, from regular public transport (RPT) to general aviation (GA), and includes some information about sports aviation. Demographic and activity data on Australian aviation is provided in…

Maintenance is essential to aviation safety, yet improper maintenance contributes to a significant proportion of aviation accidents and incidents. This is because a small percentage of maintenance tasks are performed incorrectly or are omitted due to human error. Examples include parts installed incorrectly, missing parts, and the omission of necessary checks. While precise statistics are unavailable, it is likely that the great majority of maintenance errors are inconsequential, however, a small proportion present significant safety threats. In comparison to many other threats to aviation…

This report provides aviation accident and incident, collectively termed occurrence, data for the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2008. This data was provided to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau by 'responsible persons' as defined in the Transport Safety Investigation Regulations 2003, Part 2.5. The data excludes non-VH registered operations in the sport aviation category, and is current as at 31 December 2008. The data will be adjusted quarterly to reflect new information received during the reporting period. Aviation Statistics Usage Survey: The purpose of this survey is to…

This study reviewed safety trends in the Australian aviation charter industry for the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2006. It builds on a previous descriptive study that reviewed immediately reportable matters (IRMs) for regular public transport (RPT) aviation operations. Together, charter and RPT operations make up the air transport sector in Australia. Similar to the previous report, a subset of generally more serious IRMs were reviewed including: accidents; violations of controlled airspace (VCA); breakdowns of separation (BOS) and airproxes; fire, smoke, explosions or fumes; crew…

ATSB Comment: The ATSB raised the following concern on behalf of several reporters. Initially focussed on the collection and analysis of data related to COVID-19 vaccines, the scope of the REPCON was broadened to include all approved medication and vaccines. The ATSB is satisfied that a framework is in place to identify the suitability of medication/vaccines for use in the operational environment and the available guidance clearly defines the guiding principles and considerations when determining the suitability of medications for use by medical certificate holders. The responsibility for…

Acknowledging the safety action already taken by the Operator, these measures have not solved the problem and the safety hazard remains. An update provided by the reporter indicates that an excessive number of bikes continue to be carried on these particular services and their presence creates an ongoing hazard to carriage occupants. Despite the problem persisting, it appears that the Operator has made an attempt to manage the situation by allocating human resources at the appropriate times. Additionally, the train staff have been given the authority to exercise discretion regarding the…