What is wake turbulence For fixed-wing aircraft, wake turbulence is the combined effect of jet blast or propeller wash with wake vortices. Wake vortices are the primary contributor to wake turbulence. The initial strength of the vortices is primarily dependent upon the generating aircraft’s speed, weight and wingspan. These vortices decay with time and largely become non‑hazardous—depending on atmospheric conditions—within several minutes. The wake vortices can affect following aircraft in a similar way to flying through weather-related turbulence. More specifically, aircraft encountering…

Fuel policy requirements The current legislation does not require commercial operators of aircraft not greater than 5,700 kg maximum take-off weight (MTOW) to provide instructions and procedures for crosschecking the quantity of fuel on board before and/or during flight. This increases the risk that operators in this category will not implement effective fuel policies and training to prevent fuel exhaustion events. What happened On 17 July 2016, at about 1039 Central Standard Time, a McDonnell Douglas Corporation 369D helicopter, registered VH-PLY, experienced fuel exhaustion and a collision…

This research commenced following receipt of correspondence suggesting that an increase in helicopter engine issues in northern Australia was potentially linked to a change to reduced lead content fuel in these areas. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) advised the ATSB that, in December 2015, the colour and branding of fuel supplied to the northern region of Australia changed, from green Avgas 100/130 to blue Avgas 100LL (low lead). Although the maximum permissible lead content reduced with this change, CASA advised that the actual lead content of the supplied Avgas 100/130 fuel had…

The ATSB Annual Report 2017–18 outlines performance against the outcome and program structure in the Infrastructure and Regional Development Portfolio Budget Statements 2017–18. In my second year as Chief Commissioner, the team and I have continued to position the ATSB as a multi-modal, teams-based, world-class transport safety investigation agency. At the start of 2017–18, the Australian Government allocated the ATSB additional funding to address the resourcing challenges encountered in previous years. We have used this funding to put the ATSB on a path of transformation. We recruited 17…

Why the ATSB did the research Fatigue is an inevitable risk in aviation. As it cannot be completely eliminated, it must be managed. Data on fatigue and its impact on air transport safety is generally only obtained if there is an incident or accident. As a result, there is generally a lack of understanding of the baseline level of fatigue in day-to-day Australian air transport across operators. To provide the air transport industry, regulators and policy makers with further insights into industry perceptions of fatigue, the ATSB conducted a survey of commercial pilots engaged in passenger,…

The online report includes interactive functionality allowing users to access the report’s safety data to create their own reports specific to their needs. The purpose of this report Each year, thousands of safety occurrences involving Australian and foreign-registered aircraft are reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) by individuals and organisations in Australia’s aviation industry and by members of the public. This report is part of a series that aims to provide information to the aviation industry, manufacturers and policy makers, as well as to the travelling and…

Safety Advisory Notice Brisbane Airport Corporation and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority have both previously recommended that operators use covers on their aircraft’s pitot probes during turnarounds to mitigate the risk of insects building nests in them and significantly affecting the reliability of airspeed indications. In addition to using pitot probe covers, rigorous processes need to be in place to ensure that covers are removed prior to flight. What happened During a take-off roll at Brisbane Airport on 18 July 2018, the flight crew of an Airbus A330 (international…

The ATSB Annual Report 2016–17 outlines performance against the outcome and program structure in the Infrastructure and Regional Development Portfolio Budget Statements 2016–17. Appointed Chief Commissioner on 1 July 2016, I was honoured to be provided the opportunity to lead a world-class transport safety investigation agency. As the accountable authority, I was acutely aware that the ATSB’s primary function is to improve transport safety with priority given to delivering the best safety outcomes for the travelling public. Having worked in other agencies within the transport portfolio for…

The Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin covers a range of the ATSB’s short investigations and highlights valuable safety lessons for pilots, operators and safety managers. Released periodically, the Bulletin provides a summary of the less-complex factual investigation reports conducted by the ATSB. The results, based on information supplied by organisations or individuals involved in the occurrence, detail the facts behind the event, as well as any safety actions undertaken. The Bulletin also highlights important Safety Messages for the broader aviation community, drawing on earlier ATSB…

The Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin covers a range of the ATSB’s short investigations and highlights valuable safety lessons for pilots, operators and safety managers. Released periodically, the Bulletin provides a summary of the less-complex factual investigation reports conducted by the ATSB. The results, based on information supplied by organisations or individuals involved in the occurrence, detail the facts behind the event, as well as any safety actions undertaken. The Bulletin also highlights important Safety Messages for the broader aviation community, drawing on earlier ATSB…