Australian flight safety

[Spark]

787 Grounded: FAA Orders Airlines To Park Dreamliners Over Safety Concerns

Teething problems?

[Top_Cat]

Yeah, there's always teething problems with a new aircraft but this appears a bit more systemic. Someone's been raising doubts about lithium ion batteries used in the planes for years now.

[Top_Cat]

The Dreamliner: Now it's a crisis | Jon Talton | Sound Economy with Jon Talton | The Seattle Times

[Spark]

TBF something like this was bound to happen with the 787 because it is such a radically different plane. I'd be hesitant about flying on one for a couple of years, but once they iron out, easily the biggest advance in aviation in a generation IMO.

[benchmark00]

Does it have extra leg room in cattle class?

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Darwin ATC sent two Qantas jets on collision course | Plane Talking

A near mid-air, this one in Darwin by RAAF ATC. They don't mention it in this article but I'm led to believe there was around 800' vertical separation between the planes. In other words, SFA.

More on this, ATSB report released yesterday.

Separation reduced to 3.9 NM (7.2 km) and 400 ft.

Jesus.

Ben Sandilands has his say, as always;

How AirServices Australia endangered two 737s in 2011 | Plane Talking

[Top_Cat]

Senate committee ATSB,CASA, Pel-Air wrap | Plane Talking

Final word from the senate inquiry into the Pel-Air crash (Off the coast of Norfolk Island, Cleo Bachelor of the Year guy, etc.). Some sharp words about CASA and ATSB:

Both organisations have been criticised for being more concerned with their image than public safety issues

CASA withheld information that showed that it was aware of deficiencies in the Pel-Air operation which if acted upon may have prevented the Pel-Air crash

And, as a result, CASA have now been referred to FedPol.

I have no idea how either or both of Martin Dolan or John McCormick can continue in good conscience as head of ATSB and CASA respectively. The only reason I can think of this isn't getting more press right now is because no-one died. This is a somewhat unprecedented bollocking of the two peak aviation bodies in this country, basically accusing them of a deficient investigation, a biased final report pinning all blame on the pilot when it appears that wasn't the case as well as dodging or concealing information which would lead to any (more credible, tbh) alternative conclusion to the point where the Feds are going to review the case. CASA has been warned, in a senate inquiry FFS, not to go after the careers of anyone who gave evidence against them too.

This just offends the sensibilities of everyone involved in flying, even for the lowliest of bug-smashers who are often subject to the most ridiculously bureaucratic safety brow-beating from CASA let alone the wider Australian public. If CASA and the ATSB were so inclined to obfuscate the investigation into a non-fatal lower-mid GA sea landing in this way, you've got to wonder about the level of arse covering we'd see if there was a really bad prang involving an airliner and a couple of hundred deaths.

[Spark]

I think people are still taken in by this whole "QANTAS have never had a fatal passenger aircraft crash hence completely safe" and then applying that to Australian aviation as a whole. Neither is especially true.

[Top_Cat]

Yeah and I think I've said this before but that's also not exactly true. QANTAS has never had a fatal jet crash or jet hull loss. They have, however, had quite a few fatal non-jet crashes and have had a couple of jet prangs where there were no fatalities and they (reputedly) repaired at substantial cost to maintain their record where other airliners would have written them off (Bangkok 1999 comes to mind and there was one in Arnhem Land from memory).

tbh, the longer-term issue amongst the conspiracy theorists is corruption rather than incompetence. Pel Air is a subsidiary of Rex and some have already speculated as to whether CASA were strong-armed by Rex sympathisers/shareholders within to keep Pel afloat after they missed out on the NSW aeromedical to the RFDS in the aftermath of the crash (NSW gov blamed costs but we all know it was the crash). The conspiratorially-minded have also wondered whether the tactic to blame the pilot entirely for the crash was to ensure Pel keeps their similar big-$ contract with Vic government they'd won only months before the same crash. If they are to be believed and Rex really does have that much influence in CASA's corridors, it's scary to think of how much big daddy Q would have (again, there are theories).

[Spark]

Re: Bangkok I'm sure the pilot was a golfing fan, to be fair.

[Jono]

Top Cat and Spark hate Qantas. UnAustralian pricks.

What's next? They are happy Ford closed down? They don't support Katter's call to label all foreign imported food as dangerous?