[Peetwo]

ATSB with very little spin & bugger all horse-pooh - Part II

Have you ever noticed how the ATSB gets very short, sharp & to the point, when there is the potential for political fallout from a reported serious incident - No?? Well here is a classic example, that at this stage the whole of the MSM has totally missed and that had the potential for raining metal on middle suburbia Melbourne:

Loss of separation involving Boeing 737, VH-YFN and VH-VZV and Robinson R44, VH-WYR near Essendon Airport, Victoria, on 26 January 2016

 
Investigation number: AO-2016-005
Investigation status: Active
 

General details
Date:
26 Jan 2016
 
Investigation status:
Active
 
Time:
07:01 ESuT
 
Investigation type:
Occurrence Investigation
 
Location   (show map):
Essendon Airport west 5 km
 
Occurrence type:
Breakdown of co-ordination
 
State:
VIC
 
Occurrence class:
Airspace
 
Occurrence category:
Incident
 
Report status:
Pending
 
Highest injury level:
None
 
Expected completion:
Sep 2016 

 


Last update 27 January 2016

See what I mean, such economy of words is pure genius i.e. 'nothing to see here move along'

However this supposedly 'non-event' did not get past the scrutiny of Ben Sandilands...

Traffic chopper, Qantas, Virgin 737s get too close over Melbourne

Ben Sandilands | Jan 27, 2016 10:07PM |

A company photo of a Robinson R44

Australia Day could have started (and ended) badly for two passenger jets with more than 300 seats and a traffic chopper near Melbourne airport on Tuesday.

According to the ATSB notification, a Qantas and a Virgin Australia 737 and the Robinson 44 helicopter were involved in a ‘loss of separation’ and a ‘breakdown of coordination’  while ‘near Essendon Airport’ at one minute past seven am on the morning of the special national day of celebration.

Not only that, but the very brief ATSB entry describes the location as five kilometres west of Essendon Airport, which is very close to the big one, Melbourne Airport, which even the most obtuse bureaucrats fearful of causing public alarm would know was the facility 99.99 percent most likely to be being used by two Australian airliners with a total body seat and crew count of around 350 people if full.

Putting aside the skills of the ATSB in attempting to say almost nothing that will excite media attention ever about anything, this is a curious incident to say the least.

The helicopter in question is on the aircraft register in Australia as one of four of the type operated by The Australian Traffic Network Pty Ltd, which according to its website claims “100 percent  of metro commercial radio stations” in the nation, as well as having a high presence on TV networks.

Which will be news to those of us who though the gripping live accounts of gridlock from the ‘Channel X news chopper, brought to you by X law firm specialising in workplace injury claims’ or whatever, was actually their helicopter. But we may be missing something.

The main thing, without prejudice to any party, is that helicopters getting too close to passenger jets, or vice versa,  over any part of suburban Australia is of even bigger concern than a truck breaking down in a critical part of a motorway at peak hour and by a huge margin.

It might even be sufficiently newsworthy to be reported by one of the commercial radio or TV networks, especially if the  ‘traffic news helicopter’ or Boeing 737, is brought down on a highway, or housing estate, near you, courtesy of whomever.

This sounds like another exciting ATSB report in the making, if we are patient and vigilant.

 

Update:  Why the ATSB has been extremely minimalist with their summary of the 26 Jan LOS 'incident' is 'passing strange'. I know that they are only required to provide a basic  notification on deciding to investigate an incident but that summary usually has much more flesh & bones. 

By default however, I did discover some additional information from off the ATSB home page - here - under latest investigations:

On 26 January 2016, flight operations at Melbourne Airport, Victoria, changed from utilising runway 16 for arriving aircraft and runway 27 for departures, to all operations on runway 16.

Although different runways the issue of ATCO runway allocations at Melbourne and in conjunction with LAHSO was perhaps contributory to an incident that occurred on 5 July 2015 - http://atsb.gov.au/publications/investig...5-084.aspx:

..Updated: 8 December 2015


On 5 July 2015, shortly after another aircraft commenced its take-off, two aircraft conducted simultaneous missed approach/go-arounds at Melbourne Airport, Victoria, during Land and Hold Short Operations (LAHSO) at night. There was no loss of separation between any of the aircraft.



The aircraft involved in the occurrence included a Boeing:

• 737-800, registered VH-VXS (VXS), operating a scheduled passenger flight from Sydney, New South Wales, to Melbourne
  
  
• 737-800, registered VH-VYE (VYE), operating a scheduled passenger flight from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, to Melbourne
  
  
• 777-31HER (777), registered A6-EBU, operating a scheduled passenger flight from Melbourne to Singapore...
  
  

...Ongoing investigation


The investigation is continuing and will include examination and analysis of:

• available occurrence data for similar occurrences
  
  
• LAHSO procedures, approvals, associated operational risk assessments and risk controls
  
  
• compromised separation recovery training for Airservices’ Aerodrome Controllers
  
  
• operational command authority
  
  
• On-the-Job Training Instructor training and guidelines
  
  
• team resource management for Airservices’ controllers...
  

 
It should be remembered that this incident (5 July) almost slipped through the cracks until it was brought to Senator Xenophon's attention presumably by either the flight crews or ATCOs  involved. NX brought it to public attention in the ASA Performance Inquiry...

Senator XENOPHON: Mr Hood, are you aware of what happened at Melbourne airport around 6.15pm on Sunday, 5 July?


Mr Hood : Yes, I am. There was a double go-around on runway 2-7 and 3-4.

Senator XENOPHON: It was a close call, wasn't it?

Mr Hood : It was a double go-around, and the ATSB are investigating that—

Senator XENOPHON: It is pretty serious incident.

Mr Hood : It is a serious incident.

CHAIR: What was the separation?

Mr Hood : Visual separation—and that is in that circumstance when you have a double go-around both in sight of the tower. Both aircraft were alerted to the position of the other.

Senator XENOPHON: So, three days after I get a letter clarifying some issues on LAHSOs, we have a very close call.

Mr Hood : We have a double go-around.

Senator XENOPHON: Double go-arounds are pretty bad, aren't they?

Mr Hood : Certainly. Not something I like to see.

Senator XENOPHON: How close were the two aircraft?

Mr Hood : I would have to take that on notice. I have the—

Senator XENOPHON: How many seconds away were they away from a collision in terms of the separation?

Mr Hood : I am not sure they were headed towards a collision at all, but the ATSB will verify the facts.

..and subsequently forced the ATSB's hand to actually investigate.

Senator XENOPHON: That is on notice. The other one on notice relates to the double go-around on 5 July. Can you tell us where the ATSB is at on that in relation to that double go-around?


Mr Dolan : We are currently undertaking an investigation of that double go-around.

Senator XENOPHON: So, it might take several weeks or months before there is a report?

Mr Dolan : Months more than weeks.

Senator XENOPHON: Thank you.  (also QON 118 & 119)

And in ASA QON 82 last Estimates:

Senator XENOPHON: Finally, in relation to the issue involving the separation between Essendon and Tullamarine, and also the issue of the double go-around on 5 July this year, can you give us an update as to whether there have been any changes in procedure for both incidents that caused a lot of concern amongst people in the aviation community I speak to?

Mr Harfield: I will pass to Mr Hood to provide some detail on that.


Mr Hood: In relation to the Essendon issue that we discussed, there were changes in the Melbourne terminal area procedures, so we have made some changes in that space.

Senator XENOPHON: Could you provide those details on notice?

Mr Hood: Certainly; we would be delighted to. In relation to LAHSO, we have had a number of meetings in relation to land and hold short operations. I consider that the land and hold short procedure in Melbourne continues to remain safe. However, we are considering further enhancements to the procedure.

Senator XENOPHON: If you can provide details on that as well, that would be very welcome.

Mr Hood: Will do, Senator.  

Definitely be MTF on this I reckon...P2