ATSB releases preliminary reports into 2 more Sydney incidents

It follows the release last month of preliminary reports into four other Sydney incidents, which have put a spotlight on air traffic control at Australia’s busiest airport.

“As with the earlier occurrences, these two incidents were both mitigated when flight crews and ground personnel identified a potential conflict, and acted,” said ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell.

“As such, an important safety defence acted appropriately, but our role is to establish why crew actions were necessary to prevent a more serious outcome.”

According to the ATSB, in the 17 August incident, the crew of the Virgin aircraft “did not read back a complete air traffic control taxiing instruction, which included the detail to ‘follow the Qantas’ aircraft, and that the issuing controller did not recognise the incomplete readback”.

“As the Qantas 737 vacated the runway, the crew observed that the Virgin 737 aircraft did not appear to be slowing to give way and used normal braking to stop their aircraft while the Virgin 737 passed in front,” the watchdog said.

On the 25th, meanwhile, a controller “cleared a Jetstar A320 to push back from its gate onto the adjacent taxiway, before clearing a QantasLink Dash 8 to proceed along the same taxiway about 30 seconds later, which would take it past the A320’s bay”.

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“As they were taxiing, the crew of the Dash 8 identified that the A320 was moving backwards and stopped their aircraft,” the ATSB said.

At the same time, the A320’s pushback driver and despatcher stopped the pushback when they observed the approaching Dash 8 and alerted the A320’s flight crew.

“After both aircraft crews queried the controller, the Jetstar aircraft was instructed to move back to the gate allowing the Dash 8 to pass behind it.”

Both preliminary reports “include details on the rostering and staffing conditions in the air traffic control tower at the time of each incident”, the ATSB has noted.

“In addition, the investigation into the 25 August occurrence will also give consideration to visibility from the air traffic control tower at Sydney and the systems available to controllers,” it said.

According to Mitchell, while the ATSB is investigating all six Sydney Airport conflict incidents separately, it is also “reviewing common factors to help identify any systemic safety issues that may emerge and bring them to light early and transparently so those best placed can consider whether any immediate and ongoing safety risks are being effectively managed”.

“We are yet to determine whether staff resourcing factors contributed to any of the six occurrences, or whether they were simply underlying conditions that were recognised and being effectively managed by Airservices, Australia’s air traffic services provider,” he said.

“Each of these investigations are considering the roles played by the controllers in Sydney tower, the flight crew in each aircraft, and any other personnel – and how those actions fit within the safety system, which is designed to prevent conflicts like these from happening.”

A spokesperson for Airservices said the air navigation service provider “acknowledges the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s (ATSB) interim reports and will review the findings once these investigations are complete”.

“Our people have been supporting the ATSB’s enquiries and we remain committed to processes aimed at enhancing safety in the aviation industry,” the spokesperson said.

A working group has said there is no “immediate safety risk” to passengers at Sydney Airport.