Safety-related incidents on Australian aircraft rise significantly, says report

The number of reported incidents concerning aircraft safety on Australian aircraft has gone up considerably in the last five years, a new report has revealed.

The annual review by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which covered Australia’s entire aviation fleet from recreational aircraft to passenger jets, showed a “separate increase” in the number of reported incidents that involve aircraft frames and engines. And, aircraft frames and engines have been involved in a number of recent mid-air mishaps and controversies over maintenance.

The review said that “the age of Australia’s fleet of light aircraft is becoming a liability” and showed “a significant increase in operational issues in recent years.”

The number of cabin-safety incidents, the review added, more than doubled – from 22 in 2003 to 46 in 2007. Fuel-related issues, such as an aircraft’s fuel reserves dropping below the legal minimum during a flight, increased from 43 to 56.

These facts, presented in the ATSB’s review of aviation safety since 2003, refute official claims that the recent spate of mid-air incidents and crashes involving light plane do not reflect a broader problem.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is an operationally independent body within the Australian Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. It is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia and covers air, sea, and rail travel. The ATSB contributes to transport safety by independently investigating, analysing and openly reporting on transport safety matters. All investigations conducted by the ATSB are “no blame” – which  means that the emphasis is on learning to improve future safety.

Between 2003 and 2007, the ATSB review said, the number of reported incidents involving the structural frames of aircraft across Australia rose by 75, including a 48% rise between 2006 and 2007. Reported incidents involving aircraft power and propulsion components like engines and propellers went up by 26% over the period, with a spike in 2007.

However, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of (CASA) Australia, the Australian federal agency responsible for the regulation of private and commercial flight, responded in a statement: “The CASA does not believe that the statistics give out by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau represent a significant threat to passenger safety because the review showed that the number of fatalities and serious aviation accidents had remained stable or fallen over the period.”

Peter Gibson, a spokesman for the CASA, said: “While CASA believes that the overall statistical picture was positive, the figures highlighted the problems of an ageing aviation fleet. The average aircraft age across Australia’s 14,300-strong fleet is about 30 years. A majority of the aviation fleet is made up of smaller aircraft, which transport freight or small numbers of passengers, not the major airlines. What this shows is that the owners and operators need to keep their aircraft in absolutely top condition. They need to do more work to keep safe.”

The website theage.com.au reported that many aviation industry experts are of the opinion that the figures provided by the ATSB raise serious questions about the impact of cost-cutting measures introduced by airlines such as Qantas Airways – the national airline and flag carrier of Australia – and about the age of Australia’s general-aviation fleet.

Dick Smith, former chairman of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority, was quoted as remarking: “In the past, Qantas and the other major Australian players did far more than required on maintenance. But, now they are going right to the limit of what they are allowed to do under the regulations. Shareholders want more profits and passengers want lower prices and the only way the airlines seem to be able to deliver that is by cutting corners.”

Qantas has strongly contended that its maintenance standards have not fallen, notwithstanding a series of recent mid-air incidents, including the plunge of an Airbus A330 over Western Australia in October 2008.

A spokesman for the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association said: “The figures released by the ATSB raises questions about the effectiveness of reforms made to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in 2003. For all the effort that has gone into reform, it does not seem to be producing results.”