[Peetwo]

To investigate or not to investigate? - that is the question.

Last Friday at 01:52 EST an incident was reported to the ATSB that apparently they will be investigating??  

Flight below lowest safe altitude involving Boeing 737, VH-XMO at Launceston Airport, Tasmania on 17 June 2016
 
Investigation number: AO-2016-061
Investigation status: Active
 

• Summary
  

Summary
The ATSB is investigating the flight below lowest safe altitude involving Boeing 737, registered VH-XMO at Launceston Airport, Tasmania on 17 June 2016.

While conducting the runway 32 ILS published missed approach procedure, the aircraft diverted off the published heading and flew below the lowest safe altitude.

As part of the investigation, the ATSB will interview the flight crew and gather additional information, including recorded data, as required.
 
General details

General details Date: 17 Jun 2016
 
Investigation status: Active
 
Time: 01:52 EST
 
Investigation type: Occurrence Investigation
 
Location   (show map): Launceston Airport
 
Occurrence type: Flight below minimum altitude
 
State: Tasmania
 
Occurrence class: Operational
 
Occurrence category: Incident
 
Report status: Pending
 
Highest injury level: None
 
Expected completion: Jun 2017 
 
Aircraft details

Aircraft manufacturer: The Boeing Company
 
Aircraft model: 737-376
 
Aircraft registration: VH-XMO
 
Serial number: 23488
 
Operator: Express Freighters Australia
 
Type of operation: Air Transport High Capacity
 
Sector: Jet
 
Damage to aircraft: Nil
 
Departure point: Melbourne, Vic.
Destination: Launceston, Tas.
 
 
 


Last update 17 June 2016

However there is a couple of points with this incident that are more than passing strange??

To begin the statement that this was a flight below 'lower safe altitude' is misleading as every IFR qualified pilot knows the missed approach procedure for all IAPs is contained within the 25nm (or defined distance) Minimum Sector Altitude. Which for the sector that the 32 ILS missed approach heading of 313° is contained is 3,200 feet - see here.

"..the aircraft diverted off the published heading.."  -  According to the approach plate if this was to be a problem (i.e. outside acceptable 'legal' tolerances) then the aircraft must have been deviated to the next MSA sector (R330° to R050° at MSA 5800').

If this was what occurred then from my interpretation this should automatically have defined this incident as 'serious', however from the ATSB record this does not appear to be the case:

Occurrence category: Incident

 
Therefore one has to question why the ATSB is investigating this incident?

Just surmising but perhaps there is a TASWAM element in this incident, see HERE. 

Just saying -


MTF...P2