Bright spots

Delivering better outcomes and other lessons of the pel-air ditching

This is the final in a series of five articles by Ben Cook, where he has revisited the ditching of the Pel-Air aircraft off Norfolk Island on 18 of November 2009 – looking at the numerous human factors that influenced the tragedy. In this article, Ben explores the failings of key organisations and the importance of them rebuilding trust within the aviation community and the broader flying public.

Where are we now?

As noted in previous articles, the failure of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) –including the impact of personal bias and ego – adversely affected the accident investigation process for the Pel-Air ditching. The CASA special audit conducted after the accident also highlighted inadequate regulatory surveillance.