Latest news with #ATSB
West Australian
13 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Geraldton-based FIFO airline Shine Aviation caught up ATSB fuel exhaustion investigation
Workers at Mid West copper and gold mines are being flown on a plane that is currently the subject of a probe by the national transport safety investigator. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is looking into why one of Shine Aviation's propeller-powered aircraft — registration code VH-PGO — almost had a disastrous landing at Meekatharra Airport on June 5. 'During the approach, the pilot received multiple fuel flow warnings on the number two engine followed by associated engine surging and aircraft yaw,' The ATSB stated. Yaw is the left-to-right movement of a plane's nose. 'The pilot conducted initial actions and secured the engine. The post-flight inspection revealed the engine had lost power due to fuel starvation,' according to the ATSB. 'Engineers replaced an O-ring on the right inboard fuel cap as a precaution.' Flight data shows the 10-seater plane was back in the air about five hours after the incident, but it is unclear if any passengers were on board. The plane has since made multiple trips from Shine's Geraldton base to the Golden Grove and Mt Magnet landing strips. The Golden Grove copper mine is run by 29Metals and Ramelius Resources operates the Mt Magnet gold mine. Ramelius declined to comment, while 29Metals and Shine did not respond to requests for comment. Shine, which is owned by Geraldton local John Gooch, will likely have to wait until the final quarter of this year to find out the results of the ATSB's investigation. Shine's close call is the first mechanical mishap in 2025 involving a small airline running charter flights to mines in WA's outback. This follows a spate of safety incidents last year on planes operated by Perth-based Skippers Aviation. On August 12, an aircraft was flying from IGO's Forrestania nickel operation in the western Goldfields when its brakes failed after touching down at Perth Airport. The runaway plane collided with a hangar resulting in 'minor damage'. Just three days later, a Skippers flight from Perth to Northern Star Resources' Bronzewing gold mine had to turn back not long after take-off and make an emergency landing as smoke engulfed the aircraft's interior. The ATSB found the 'serious' incident was caused by a mechanical failure compounded by a series of flight crew mistakes. Then on October 2, another Skippers plane travelling from Perth to Bronzewing was forced to descend rapidly after suddenly losing cabin pressure. Flight data showed the Dash 8 twin engine turboprop aircraft had to reduce its altitude at a rate of more than 5200 feet per minute, way beyond the typical maximum rate of 2500ft per minute when flying the same plane on the same route. Adding to the string of safety breaches, a Skippers crew member was convicted for vaping during a flight on the Perth to Forrestania route during the year. Skippers trimmed its fleet down from 27 in 2022 to 20 by the latter half of 2024, but a spokesman denied its cost-cutting crusade was jeopardising safety. The airline is owned by the Quinlivan family and led by Stan Quinlivan. Mr Quinlivan's investment portfolio includes the Ocean Beach Hotel and a troop of race horses.
ABC News
17 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Hypoxia is rare, but it's been behind several fatal plane crashes in Australia
Blue lips, slurred speech, euphoria, confusion — these are just some of the warning signs of hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the body, which can be deadly in the air. It's rare, but hypoxia has been behind several fatal plane crashes in Australia. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which investigates aircraft incidents, recently found that a 2023 triple-fatal crash near Cloncurry was "entirely preventable" and that the pilot likely suffered hypoxia caused by a well-known, long-standing defect. Respiratory specialist Dr Ian Yang says, put simply, it's low oxygen in the body and brain. Dr Yang says common symptoms include confusion, rapid breathing, a racing heart and a false sense of calm. "A lot of our patients living with moderate to severe conditions like COPD (lung disease) will have low oxygen but it's very rare in the general community," he says. "If someone comes to us with moderate to severe lung conditions we test in our laboratory to test what their oxygen levels are, if it drops too low we'll recommend they need oxygen on the plane." Aviation doctor and pilot Dr Hui Tan says hypoxia can start silently above 10,000 feet, if cabin pressure drops and oxygen systems fail. "Pilots might feel fine, then suddenly can't function," he says. Dr Tan says some have reported tingling ears, nausea, or warmth before losing awareness. The ATSB has investigated seven major hypoxia-related incidents since the late 90s, from a 2000 crash that killed all onboard, to a 2020 case where a pilot passed out mid-flight. In many cases, pressure systems failed or oxygen masks weren't working. Yes, with training and awareness. Some pilots, particularly those in the military, undergo hypoxia simulation training to learn to spot the symptoms early. Dr Tan operates a specialised hypoxia chamber in Western Australia to help pilots experience and recognise the signs of low oxygen in a safe way. He himself has experienced it first-hand. "I was quite taken aback by the symptoms, it was similar to being under the influence where you have the light-headedness and I was convinced if I experienced that again in an aircraft I'd know what those symptoms were and I could do something about it," he says. "That's why we offer the training we do, so pilots can experience these symptoms first-hand in our enclosure and, if something happens in future, recognise the same hypoxia symptoms and put their oxygen mask on before they start troubleshooting. "Where people get in trouble is where they don't recognise the symptoms. "I set this up to give pilots awareness and if I save one life from hypoxia then this training has been worth it." In-flight? Immediate oxygen and descent. Air traffic controllers are also trained to spot signs including slurred pilot speech and can direct aircraft to descend quickly to safer altitudes. Dr Yang says on the ground, treatment depends on the cause, but in aviation, it is all about quick recognition and fast action. "The treatment for those with underlying conditions like COPD can include inhalers or exercise, and in serious cases oxygen," he says. "In aviation the treatment for patients with low oxygen is oxygen on the plane." The fatal 2023 crash is subject to an open coronial investigation. In a statement, a CASA spokesperson says the Cloncurry incident highlights the importance of being aware of the risk of hypoxia. "We note the ATSB's report and are considering the findings," the spokesperson says.
ABC News
2 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Final report into fatal outback plane crash blames pressure issue for lack of oxygen, finds operator AGAIR was aware
A pressurisation defect that deprived the pilot of oxygen resulted in a fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of three people in outback Queensland in 2023, a transport safety investigation has found. The Gulfstream 695A aircraft took off from Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, on November 4, 2023 and was on its way to photograph fire zones north of Mount Isa. But the plane crashed about 55 kilometres south-east of Cloncurry in open bushland and burned up after impact. On board were a pilot and two camera operators, including 22-year-old William Jennings from the United States, all of whom died in the crash. The flight was operated by operated by Victorian company AGAIR. In its final report, released this morning, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found the pilot was experiencing hypoxia when the crash occurred. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the "aircraft's pressurisation system was not reliably maintaining the required cabin altitude", which had been in issue for "many months". "This led some company pilots to employ a variety of actions in the aircraft to manage the potential and deadly effects of hypoxia, including at times briefly descending to lower altitudes, and improperly using emergency oxygen systems," he said. On the day of the accident, the pilot had descended from 28,000 feet to 15,000 feet for about six minutes before climbing back up to 28,000 ft, he said. "Later, while the aircraft was ... nearing Cloncurry at 28,000 ft, both power levers were probably reduced, possibly with the intention of undertaking a similar descent," the ATSB report found. "This caused the aircraft's speed to decay, before it ultimately entered a steep, descending, anticlockwise turn. Mr Mitchell said it was almost certainly due to pilot control inputs made in an unsuccessful attempt to regain control. "The ATSB found the onset of hypoxia during the flight significantly degraded the pilot's ability to safely operate the aircraft, and it is possible that at stages the pilot also experienced some loss of consciousness," he said. The ATSB said the pressurisation defect in the plane was known to senior AGAIR management, who attempted to have it rectified. "However, they did not formally record the defect, communicate it to the safety manager, undertake a formal risk assessment of it, or provide explicit procedures to pilots for managing it," Mr Mitchell said. An online fundraiser to bring Mr Jennings home received over $92,625 US in donations — about $142,000 AUD. In the fundraiser, his family said William was "a bright light extinguished too soon". "William was a 22-year-old promising mechanical engineer who recently graduated from Northeastern University," his family said. "He had an exciting life ahead of him, but tragically lost his life in a plane accident while surveying fires in Australia. "William was known to bring light to any room he walked into, and his sense of humour was infectious. "He was an avid hiker and lover of nature, always seeking new adventures in life." The other two people on board the aircraft are yet to be publicly identified.
The Age
3 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Brisbane train driver ran red light during sneezing fit
A Brisbane train driver with COVID ran a red light when they suffered a sneezing fit in the inner-city a little more than two years ago, according to a new Australian Transport Safety Bureau report. The incident, in which the driver had to apply emergency brakes to avoid another train on the track, prompted the ATSB to urge Queensland Rail to conduct a review of risks on the network. During the morning peak of May 24, 2023, the passenger train on a Coopers Plains to Ferny Grove service ran past a red light between Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills stations. The driver only noticed the red light as the train passed the signal, at which point the emergency brakes were applied. The train came to a stop 64 metres past the signal, within sight – 296 metres – of another train ahead. The ATSB found the driver had acknowledged an automatic warning system (AWS) alert as the train approached the stop signal, but did not then recognise the signal to stop. Investigators were later told the driver could not remember acknowledging the alert. 'This was likely influenced by the habitual nature of AWS alerts which were … frequently presented during traffic congestion, as well as the driver's brief impairment,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brisbane train driver ran red light during sneezing fit
A Brisbane train driver with COVID ran a red light when they suffered a sneezing fit in the inner-city a little more than two years ago, according to a new Australian Transport Safety Bureau report. The incident, in which the driver had to apply emergency brakes to avoid another train on the track, prompted the ATSB to urge Queensland Rail to conduct a review of risks on the network. During the morning peak of May 24, 2023, the passenger train on a Coopers Plains to Ferny Grove service ran past a red light between Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills stations. The driver only noticed the red light as the train passed the signal, at which point the emergency brakes were applied. The train came to a stop 64 metres past the signal, within sight – 296 metres – of another train ahead. The ATSB found the driver had acknowledged an automatic warning system (AWS) alert as the train approached the stop signal, but did not then recognise the signal to stop. Investigators were later told the driver could not remember acknowledging the alert. 'This was likely influenced by the habitual nature of AWS alerts which were … frequently presented during traffic congestion, as well as the driver's brief impairment,' ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
