Aviation Safety Regulation Chronology 1981-2001 (Chronology 2 2000-01) http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/chron/2000-01/01chr02.htm Chronology 2 2000-01 Aviation Safety Regulation Chronology 1981-2001 Matthew James Science, Technology, Environment and Resources Group 26 June 2001 Contents Introduction Chronology Glossary AMSA Australian Maritime Safety Authority AusSAR Australian Search and Rescue ASA Airservices Australia ASF Aviation Safety Forum ATC Air Traffic Control ATSB Australian Transport Safety Bureau BASI Bureau of Air Safety Investigation CAA Civil Aviation Authority CASA Civil Aviation Safety Authority FAA Federal Aviation Administration IATA International Air Transport Association ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation NTSB National Transportation Safety Board of the United States NTSC National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia TAAATS The Australian Advanced Air Traffic System Introduction A good safety record is a judgement of past performance but does not guarantee the future, although 1 of 27 11/15/2011 11:08 AM Aviation Safety Regulation Chronology 1981-2001 (Chronology 2 2000-01) http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/chron/2000-01/01chr02.htm it is a useful indicator. Last year it was demonstrated that even top operators are not fail safe, with the crash of an Air France Concorde at Paris and a Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 at Taipei. While major Australian airlines may be a good choice, because they have not had a recent fatal event, they may also be a poor choice for the same reason. Technical development and continuing pressure to maintain an accident free record will counter this. While pilot error is said to be on the decline, factors of fatigue, weather, congestion and automated systems have complicated safety. Airline operators, pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, government regulators and makers all have a stake in making aviation as safe as possible. In Australia, regional and commuter airlines seem to face the greatest task of improving their safety. Airports too must be safe, with some cited by pilots as having critical safety deficiencies. Our wide, flat continent with generally mild weather and limited congestion assists with safety. The industry is continually finding means to make flying safer through better training and new safety technologies. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), manufacturers and others bodies cooperate in this aim. As world air traffic is expected to double or more by 2020, the accident rate must be reduced in order to avoid major accidents occurring more frequently around the globe. The safety record of overseas operators is only relevant to the Australian scene through a comparison of accident or fatality rates and then on a category by category basis. The most relevant comparative safety figures for passenger carrying activities are the number of fatalities per 100 million passenger miles and/or the number of accidents per the number of aircraft operation cycles. ICAO publishes these figures on worldwide and major airline operating country bases. This chronology of major international and domestic events related to aviation safety, over the past two decades, takes a global perspective of the subject. The many references to overseas accidents are included for their influence on Australian aviation operations and safety. Nonetheless, the chronology is a selective record of events, particularly including those airlines that fly here. Legislative links are available separately on a Library web site found at: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide /law/transportlaw.htm#air. The author prepared the Information and Research Services Background Paper no. 10 of 1997-98 'Airspace Safety: Air Traffic Control and Airline Operations in Australia' which provides information on the Australian aviation safety system, legislation and matters referred to herein. For further details of aviation safety and aircraft accidents prior to 1981, please refer to the series of Aerospace Publications by Macarthur Job titled 'Air Crash' in 2 volumes for Australia and 'Air Disaster' in 3 volumes covering major incidents in the rest of the world. Chronology Date Details Source Documents 22 August 1981 Far Eastern Air Transport airlines Boeing 737 Flight International, crashed in Taipei killing 110, apparently due to 23 January 1982. structural failure. 13 January 1982 Air Florida Boeing 737 crashed in Washington Flight International, River during severe snow and ice conditions, 22 January 1983. killing 74. The case highlighted the effects of severe weather conditions. 24 June 1982 A British Airways Boeing 747 bound for Perth Job, M. Air Disaster 2, dropped 25000 feet, when its engines failed March 1996. after passing through a volcanic plume over Indonesia, but landed safely. The CSIRO later undertook ash detection development. 7 May 1982 Department of Aviation established with http://www.airservices. regulated responsibility for 441 government or gov.au licensed airports operating around Australia and almost 7000 aircraft. This was previously the 2 of 27 11/15/2011 11:08 AM Aviation Safety Regulation Chronology 1981-2001 (Chronology 2 2000-01) http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/chron/2000-01/01chr02.htm responsibility of the Department of Transport. The Minister for Aviation was Mr Wal Fife. 9 July 1982 Pan American flight 759 Boeing 727 crashed Flight International, near New Orleans, probably due to severe wind 22 January 1983. shear, killing 145. 19 August 1982 Air Accidents (Commonwealth Government House of Liability) Amendment Bill 1982 debated in Representatives Parliament. Debates, p.735. 26 August 1982 Air Navigation (Charges) Amendment Bill 1982 ibid., p. 455 was before Parliament to impose a levy for aviation infrastructure. 15 September 1982 The Air Navigation Legislation (Validation and Senate Debates, Interpretation) Bill 1982 was before Parliament p. 1011. to facilitate the Department of Aviation's legal position. 1983 The Advance Inquiry chaired by Sir Sydney Sydney Morning Frost looked into the 21 February 1980 crash of Herald, 7 October a turboprop Beech Super King Air aircraft at 1996. Sydney Airport, into the main sea wall, killing 13. This was the first fatal airline crash in Australia since the loss of Vickers Viscounts in 1968 (26 dead), 1964 (24 dead) and 1961 (19 dead). 31 August 1983 Korean Airlines flight 007 Boeing 747 shot Flight International, down over Sea of Japan by a Soviet fighter 28 January 1984. killing 259. On 23 September, a Gulf Air Boeing 737 was lost to alleged sabotage killing 111. Both cases raised wide concerns and an extraordinary assembly of ICAO. 27 November 1983 Avianca Boeing 747 crashed near Madrid Airport Flight International, killing 181 of the 192 aboard. On 12 December, 28 January 1984. two aircraft collided at Madrid Airport, killing 92. 9 May 1984 The Minister for Aviation Mr Kim Beazley House of introduced the Air Navigation Amendment Bill Representatives 1984, to provide protection to aircraft Debates, p. 2127. crew-members from the use of cockpit voice recorders for purposes not related to safety. 13 September 1984 The Air Navigation (Charges) Amendment Bill ibid., p. 1288. 1984 and the Air Navigation Amendment Bill (No. 2), 1984 introduced by the Minister for Aviation Mr Kim Beazley to provide for charging arrangements. On 13 December 1984, Mr Peter Morris became the new Minister. 1984 The Department of Aviation's Review of the Airspace 2000 and Future Role of the Flight Service Officer in the Related Issues, p. 1; Provision of Air Traffic Services envisaged the Canberra Times, integration of air traffic control functions. With 24 May 1985; a booklet titled Two Years in the Aviation Hall of Australian, 2 March Doom aviator and entrepreneur Mr Dick Smith 1985; Flight 3 of 27 11/15/2011 11:08 AM Aviation Safety Regulation Chronology 1981-2001 (Chronology 2 2000-01) http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/chron/2000-01/01chr02.htm declared that the Department had 'had its day' International, and was 'totally stupid' with regulations that 1 December 1984. 'reduced safety'. The Minister for Aviation Peter Morris reaffirmed the safety record showing Australia as having a low accident rate. 22 November 1984 Report released of the Independent Inquiry into Australian Financial Aviation Cost Recovery (Bosch report). A Review, 21 December separate independent review of the two-airline 1994. policy was under way. 23 June 1985 Air India flight 182 Boeing 747 destroyed over Flight International, the Irish Sea, due to a terrorist bomb later 8 March 1986; The traced to unaccompanied baggage. 329 people Australian, 7 June died. Security measures were reviewed. 2001. Canadian authorities charged a first suspect in June 2001. 2 August 1985 Delta Airlines flight 191 Tristar L-1011 crashed Age, 27 July 1987; at Dallas Airport killing 135, due to a violent Sydney Morning wind shear microburst. The development of Herald, 10 August wind shear detectors continued. 1985. 12 August 1985 Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 crashed into a The Australian, mountain killing 520 of 524, after a structural 29 October 1986. failure related to maintenance occurred. A review of Boeing 747 structure integrity followed including inspections of all aircraft. 22 August 1985 A British Airtours Boeing 737 caught fire at New Scientist, Manchester Airport killing 54. Many died while 29 August 1985. trying to escape. 12 March 1986 The Minister for Transport and Minister for House of Aviation Mr Peter Morris