08-18-2017, 12:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-18-2017, 02:12 PM by thorn bird.)
The Australian12:00AM August 18, 2017
MEREDITH BOOTH
ReporterAdelaide
@MeredithBooth
Two fatal Angel Flights in six years have prompted Australia’s civil aviation safety regulator to re-examine standards for community service flight providers.
The review was prompted by the June 28 crash of an Angel Flight near Mount Gambier airport that killed private pilot Grant Gilbert, 78 and his passengers Emily Redding, 16, and her mother Tracy Redding, 43 who were on their way to a medical appointment in Adelaide.
It was the second doomed Angel Flight, after experienced volunteer pilot Don Kernot and passengers Julie and Jacinda Twigg, died in August 2011 when their plane crashed in country Victoria on a return flight from Melbourne to Nhill.
Jacinda, 15, was being treated for juvenile arthritis in Melbourne and was returning to her home near Nhill, when the plane came down in poor weather.
Angel Flight Australia is a charity that co-ordinates non-emergency flights to help rural Australians to access city medical services, providing almost 22,000 flights since 2003.
Prompted by the 2011 crash, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority toughened regulations for the sector in 2014, saying the status quo, where any aircraft could be used by any privately licensed pilot, was not “sound safety regulation”. Although it pushed for the charity to self-regulate — including overseeing pilot training, regular pilot checks and aircraft approvals — strong resistance from Angel Flight and its regional supporters prompted any proposed changes to be shelved.
CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the discussion was now being revisited. “CASA is looking at the safety issues relating to community service flights in the wake of the tragic accident at Mount Gambier,” he said. “However, given the (Air Transport Safety Bureau’s) full analysis will not be available for some months, it is too early to comment on the accident itself or any factors that may have caused the accident.
“As a prudent regulator, CASA always reviews safety issues following serious accidents.”
Angel Flight chief executive Marjorie Pagani said the charity already sought stronger-than-required CASA standards for its volunteer pilots, including at least 250 hours in command experience. Any changes to regulations on community service flights was the responsibility of CASA.
“We’re happy to co-operate with CASA and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau,” Ms Pagani said. “We have 3200 registered pilots; five to six times more than CASA requires for private pilots in a private flight, all documents are checked including current insurance and $10m public liability. We cant do anything but rely on CASA’s standards.’’
The Nhill pilot, Mr Kernot, had 6000 hours in command and Mr Gilbert had “well in excess” of 250 hours.
Ms Pagani said the Mr Gambier crash had not damaged Angel Flight’s reputation. “The support that we had from people in the community, from the passengers from pilots has been nothing short of amazing. The general tenor is this is a tragedy, but please don’t stop,’’ she said.
ATSB’s full report on the Mount Gambier crash is expected by the middle of next year.
Wondered why it was taking so long.
Here comes the knee jerk reaction.
The Australian might as well change the headline to "CASA to shut down charity flights"or perhaps "CASA to regulate Charity Flights out of business"
On the same day..."Airports Plead for protection"...from developers!!! Oh really!!! what about protecting the public from dilapidated aviation infrastructure...outrageous gouging by way fees, rents and parking. Their talking about residential development in areas surrounding the airports causing noise complaints.
Oh dear oh dear me, general aviation should be so lucky, the bloody developers own their airports, who protects them from inapropriate developments closing runways and taxiways and rent increases and lease terms designed to stifle any form of aviation development and force businesses to close, freeing up land to build more DFO's
MEREDITH BOOTH
ReporterAdelaide
@MeredithBooth
Two fatal Angel Flights in six years have prompted Australia’s civil aviation safety regulator to re-examine standards for community service flight providers.
The review was prompted by the June 28 crash of an Angel Flight near Mount Gambier airport that killed private pilot Grant Gilbert, 78 and his passengers Emily Redding, 16, and her mother Tracy Redding, 43 who were on their way to a medical appointment in Adelaide.
It was the second doomed Angel Flight, after experienced volunteer pilot Don Kernot and passengers Julie and Jacinda Twigg, died in August 2011 when their plane crashed in country Victoria on a return flight from Melbourne to Nhill.
Jacinda, 15, was being treated for juvenile arthritis in Melbourne and was returning to her home near Nhill, when the plane came down in poor weather.
Angel Flight Australia is a charity that co-ordinates non-emergency flights to help rural Australians to access city medical services, providing almost 22,000 flights since 2003.
Prompted by the 2011 crash, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority toughened regulations for the sector in 2014, saying the status quo, where any aircraft could be used by any privately licensed pilot, was not “sound safety regulation”. Although it pushed for the charity to self-regulate — including overseeing pilot training, regular pilot checks and aircraft approvals — strong resistance from Angel Flight and its regional supporters prompted any proposed changes to be shelved.
CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the discussion was now being revisited. “CASA is looking at the safety issues relating to community service flights in the wake of the tragic accident at Mount Gambier,” he said. “However, given the (Air Transport Safety Bureau’s) full analysis will not be available for some months, it is too early to comment on the accident itself or any factors that may have caused the accident.
“As a prudent regulator, CASA always reviews safety issues following serious accidents.”
Angel Flight chief executive Marjorie Pagani said the charity already sought stronger-than-required CASA standards for its volunteer pilots, including at least 250 hours in command experience. Any changes to regulations on community service flights was the responsibility of CASA.
“We’re happy to co-operate with CASA and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau,” Ms Pagani said. “We have 3200 registered pilots; five to six times more than CASA requires for private pilots in a private flight, all documents are checked including current insurance and $10m public liability. We cant do anything but rely on CASA’s standards.’’
The Nhill pilot, Mr Kernot, had 6000 hours in command and Mr Gilbert had “well in excess” of 250 hours.
Ms Pagani said the Mr Gambier crash had not damaged Angel Flight’s reputation. “The support that we had from people in the community, from the passengers from pilots has been nothing short of amazing. The general tenor is this is a tragedy, but please don’t stop,’’ she said.
ATSB’s full report on the Mount Gambier crash is expected by the middle of next year.
Wondered why it was taking so long.
Here comes the knee jerk reaction.
The Australian might as well change the headline to "CASA to shut down charity flights"or perhaps "CASA to regulate Charity Flights out of business"
On the same day..."Airports Plead for protection"...from developers!!! Oh really!!! what about protecting the public from dilapidated aviation infrastructure...outrageous gouging by way fees, rents and parking. Their talking about residential development in areas surrounding the airports causing noise complaints.
Oh dear oh dear me, general aviation should be so lucky, the bloody developers own their airports, who protects them from inapropriate developments closing runways and taxiways and rent increases and lease terms designed to stifle any form of aviation development and force businesses to close, freeing up land to build more DFO's