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GUEST EDITORIAL
GREG HOOD

Resilient and

data-driven

Chief Commissioner Greg Hood on the contemporary ATSB

ince becoming the Chief Commissioner of constructive and positive. Australian Aviation but also around the world, to help prevent an
the Australian Transport Safety Bureau recently ran a five part series focussing on the accident like this occurring in the future.
(ATSB) in July 2016, I have focused on original Norfolk Island accident investigation The ATSB and the entire Australian
Sharnessing the opportunities and meeting and I was disappointed that these articles aviation industry have come a long way since
the challenges of leading the national transport missed the opportunity to share the results this accident occurred almost a decade ago.
safety investigator, with the recognition that the of the reopened investigation and accurately The ATSB has certainly learned a lot from the
two often go hand in hand. reflect the current status of transport safety in accident and we have fully embraced these
One such example was the reopening of Australia. learnings in the way in which we investigate
our investigation of the fuel planning event, I would encourage those who have not yet and report today.
weather-related event and ditching involving done so to read the final report – in its entirety We are, and always have been, an
Westwind 1124A, VH-NGA, which occurred – into the reopened investigation. independent Commonwealth
near Norfolk Island Airport, on November 18 The investigation team reviewed Government statutory agency,
2009. evidence obtained during the entirely separate from transport
The main focus of the reopened original investigation and regulators, policy makers
investigation – one of our largest investigations acquired a substantial and service providers. Our
ever completed – was to address all of the amount of additional relationship with the Civil
relevant points raised by the Senate Inquiry information that was not Aviation Safety Authority
in the interest of completing a robust and obtained or available to (CASA) is an appropriate
comprehensive safety investigation. While the the original investigation relationship – respectful
Aviation Safety Regulation Review in 2014 team. You can download of our different roles
considered the ATSB’s original report on the the 530-page report from in the aviation safety
Norfolk Island accident an aberration, and our website by searching framework. We take
not typical of the high standard that the ATSB AO-2009-072. our role as the national
usually attains, we ensured that the specific As with all of the ATSB’s transport safety investigator
findings of a peer review by the Transport investigations, the findings very seriously and we would never
Safety Board (TSB) of Canada were fully taken of this report should not be read compromise our independent status.
into account. as apportioning blame or liability to any CASA is treated no differently than any other
Prior to the reopened investigation particular organisation or individual. We directly involved party during the course of an
commencing, the TSB’s review was quite do not investigate for the purpose of taking investigation.
favourable of the ATSB’s investigation administrative, regulatory or criminal action. Every year we receive approximately 17,000
methodology, after comparing ours against their Often referred to as the ‘no-blame’ approach, serious incident and accident notifications
own policies and guidance, and the standards this does not equate with ‘no responsibility’. across the aviation, marine and rail modes –
and recommended practices, including those It simply means that disciplinary action and that is an average of 46 per day. We simply
outlined in Annex 13 to the International Civil criminal or liability assessment are not part cannot investigate everything, and nor do we
Aviation Organization (ICAO) Convention on of an ATSB safety investigation and should, need too. We have been seeking to improve our
International Civil Aviation. They found our if necessary, be progressed through separate efficiency by becoming more data-driven. We
methodology met or exceeded the intent and parallel processes. have one of the richest national information
spirit of those prescribed. Our transport safety investigators identified datasets of safety-related occurrences in
One of the positive attributes in Australian and published 36 safety factors from this aviation. By actively interrogating this data,
aviation is the passionate expression of opinion. reopened investigation, which provide valuable we are able to more selectively allocate our
I have experienced this in spades during our lessons to flightcrews, operators, regulators resources to investigating those accidents and
search for MH370, and also through feedback and other organisations, particularly operators incidents that have the greatest potential for
following the publication of our investigation and pilots who fly to remote islands and other improving transport safety.
reports – the vast majority of which is isolated aerodromes. Not only here in Australia, Consistent with our Minister’s Statement

22 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION