AIP GEN Section 3.3.1 stated that FIS will be provided whenever practicable to all aircraft that are known to be affected by the information. The BoMs Aviation Weather Services already has a formal process in place to conduct regularly consultative meetings/workshops with key aviation stakeholders to identify improvements and current and future requirements. Web. Light winds. In addition, once the controllers workload decreased, they commenced passing the latest SPECI and amended TAF information to aircraft at Mildura. This includes river heights. All rights reserved. After the amended TAF was issued, the BoM meteorologist located within the National Operations Centre at Airservices Australia (Airservices) rang the relevant BoM forecaster to discuss the conditions at Mildura Airport. Subsequent cautions in section 7 stated that: To ensure airman compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations, manufacturers operating manuals should remind airmen to contact ATC controllers, FSS specialists, operator dispatchers, or airline operations control centers for general and mission critical aviation weather information and/or NAS [national airspace system] status conditions (such as NOTAMs, Special Use Airspace status, and other government flight information). The SCARD assessed changes to FIS, including that SPECIs that can be obtained from an ABS do not need to be directed or broadcast to aircraft by ATS. The TTF predicted that the fog would clear at 0900and the company meteorologist called the BoM to determine the forecasters confidence that the fog would clear at 0900. The actions of the flight crew of the second Virgin aircraft to query ATC about the weather update for Adelaide were consistent with this advice. provision of information to flight crews from Air traffic services (ATS), ATS policies and procedures affecting the flights, provision by the operators of information to the respective flight crews, the basis for the sequencing of the aircraft landings at Mildura, Bureau of Meteorology meteorological services and products as they applied to these flights. Fog had not been forecast for Adelaide when the crew submitted their flight plan. The provision of flight information service by New Zealand ATC and the precedence afforded the provision of ATC services over FIS are consistent with the service provided by Airservices. At 0916, the pilot of an air ambulance flight departing Mildura made a call to ATC that conditions were deteriorating, with a cloud base at 400 ft. However, on the day of the occurrence, the AWIS was subject to a NOTAM stating it was not broadcasting. This includes the importance of controller/pilot communication to enhance situation awareness, particularly in regard to nonroutine situations such as deteriorating weather or aircraft low fuel state. A short AIREP should be provided by pilots when requested and ATS should be advised when a pilot encounters: In respect of the distribution of short AIREPs, MATS section 3-10-930 required controllers to: The pilot of the air ambulance aircraft who departed Mildura at 0916 did not use the term AIREP. Water Data Online provides free access to nationally current and historical water information that is collected by the Bureau of Meteorology under the Water Regulations (2008). The Manual of Air Traffic Services (MATS) for ATC stated that controllers should pass airborne report (AIREP) information to affected aircraft and the BoM. The BoM Aeronautical Services Handbook (ASH), which is available as guidance for staff, lists the priorities for the provision of services. As a TTF does not include probability forecasts, only the 0700 amended TAF could include the 30 per cent probability of fog. However, the timely dissemination of such information optimises the likelihood of effective flight crew planning and decision making. The CVR recorded discussion between the crew about the position of the fuel pumps and crossfeed valve. As such, when the crew of Velocity 1384 initiated the diversion to Mildura Airport, they had not confirmed sufficient fuel to meet the TEMPO requirement. As a result of its developing understanding of the occurrence, the ATSB has commenced the following safety action:Safety forum regarding the provision of operational informationThe ATSB is planning to convene a safety forum in respect of the provision of operational information to the flight crews in this occurrence, and more generally. In addition to the TAF, flight operations also passed the 0800 TTF to the crew at the top of climb. As such, they did not always represent a significant or unforecast deterioration. FIS should not serve as the sole source of aviation weather and other operational information. The first officer (FO) held a held an Air Transport Pilot (Aeroplane) Licence with a Boeing 737-300 to -900 endorsement and a current Class 1 Aviation Medical Certificate with no restrictions. They should be taking, and reporting, parallel measurements to confirm that the probes are measuring the same temperatures as a mercury thermometer would. For all other short haul domestic flights, this service was not guaranteed, and was provided as workload permitted. Differences in pump outputs between the tanks would then result in the No. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to instruments, and therefore under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), rather than by outside visual references. Neither crew were aware of this TAF nor would they have been able to use this forecast in support of their decision to divert. Web. In September 2007, the MATS was entirely reformatted and the reference to amendments changed to versions, with version1 being effective on 7 September 2007. The definition of FIS remained substantially the same as the 7 June 2007 release of MATS but the section on hazard alerts was reduced to: Use the prefix HAZARD ALERT when communicating a sudden change to a component of FIS which has an immediate and detrimental effect on the safety of aircraft. Section 1.1.2 of the Transport Canada manual was titled Flight Advisory and Information Services and outlined the elements of the in-flight information service. This arrangement is consistent with the service provided by Airservices. https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2018/02/17/ghcn-are-even-inflating-current-temperatures-in-new-york/, Doug said: Wouldnt it be possible to simply put an electronic probe and a classic thermometer into a Stevenson enclosure or a temperature controlled environment for comparison?. Various supervisors in Melbourne Centre advised that they were aware that the weather in Adelaide was deteriorating. A second review of the ATSB occurrence database was conducted to examine the level of assistance provided by ATC to flight crew and identify any systemic issues. A safety issue is an event or condition that increases safety risk and (a) can reasonably be regarded as having the potential to adversely affect the safety of future operations, and (b) is a characteristic of an organisation or a system, rather than a characteristic of a specific individual, or characteristic of an operating environment at a specific point in time. Posted July 23, 2019. These services did not provide for the recognition and active dissemination of special weather reports (SPECI) to pilots, thereby not meeting the intent of the SPECI alerting function provided by controller-initiated flight information service. The aircraft was refuelled and the flight returned to Darlot once conditions improved. A number of other aircraft, in addition to the B737, returned to their departure airports or diverted to alternate airports as a result of the reduced visibility at Adelaide Airport. Time: 0525 EST Velocity 1384 crew at flight briefing, Time: 0600 EST Qantas 735 crew at flight briefing, Time: 0638 EST Velocity 1384 departs Brisbane, Time: 0700 EST Velocity 1384 approaching top of climb, Qantas 735 at gate loading last passengers at Sydney, Time: 0707 EST Velocity 1384 in cruise, Qantas 735 preparing to pushback from Sydney, Time: 0711 EST Velocity 1384 in cruise, Qantas 735 taxiing at Sydney, Time: 0730 EST Velocity 1384 in cruise, Qantas 735 on initial climb from Sydney, Time: 0748 EST Velocity 1384 and Qantas 735 in cruise. The visibility and cloud detected by the AWS was broadly consistent with the SPECIs that were available at that time as both were generated from the same data source. At 1004, as they were not visual with the runway, the crew initiated a missed approach from 132ftAGL. The BoM reported that their assessment of Mildura at around 0830 showed that low cloud was more likely to occur than fog. Bureau Home > Australia > Victoria > Forecasts > Mildura Forecast. The first SPECI indicating the presence of fog was issued at 0948, showing visibility as 900 m in fog and cloud overcast at 100 ft. For example, informing ATC of a non-routine situation will increase the level of monitoring a flight will receive. That is, there was an expectation that the crew would have been told about the fog in Adelaide when the condition commenced. For long haul operations and those flights to islands, Asia and from the east to the west coast of Australia, flights were actively followed. 2 main wing tank been consumed, the position of the crossfeed valve at OPEN would have ensured fuel was supplied to both engines from the No. However, it can be difficult to differentiate between fog and low cloud when using satellite imagery. In addition, it was possible for fog to exist at nearby locations, such as at Edinburgh Airport, without operations at Adelaide Airport being affected. The review determined that, because the TAF had only a 30 per cent chance of fog and the TTF issued at the same time forecast no deterioration, the amended TAF would not be passed to the flight crew. Mildura 14 Day Extended Forecast. FL400 equates to 40,000 ft. Given the meteorological conditions were less than the landing minima for a Boeing 737, this constituted an emergency. When the aircraft was at the decision altitude, the crew initiated a missed approach procedure as they had not obtained visual reference with the runway. At this stage, the crew of Qantas 735 were aware of the changes to the TTF and continued to Adelaide on the basis that the fog would clear prior to their arrival. Ltd. and Qantas Airways Ltd. Submissions were received from the flight crew of Velocity 1384, Airservices Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Virgin Australia Airlines Pty. At 0916, an air ambulance pilot who was departing Mildura Airport made a call to the Mallee sector air traffic controller, who was responsible for the airspace above Mildura. a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment. At 0936 the controller made a broadcast on the area frequency to traffic at Mildura, informing them of the details of the 0932 SPECI. As the aircraft neared Adelaide, the BoM issued another TTF at 0900. However, as the AWIS broadcast doesn't contain the label 'SPECI', pilots are required to recognise and interpret its operational significance. - Digits on the tank with the lower fuel quantity turn amber. As there was no TAF service available for Darlot, the crew was required to nominate an alternate airport on the flight plan. A ground-based transponder station. The chance of a thunderstorm. 26 February 2013 the recording for the probe is 37.3, while the mercury thermometer recorded 36.9 on the A8 form). Additionally, aspects such as aircraft holding time and the number of traffic movements also need to be taken into account to determine the operational effect and risk of any inaccuracy. Both allowed aircraft to be dispatched without carrying alternate fuel if the weather forecast for the destination did not require an alternate. This period was chosen to reflect the system after the changes to the provision of FIS in Australia were introduced in 2009. Centralised Aerodrome Weather Information Service (C-AWIS) Project (completion expected 2015/16 FY). The only exception to this is SIGMET information, which shall cover a portion of the route up to two hours flying time ahead of the aircraft. Jennifer has hit onto an important point worldwide, especially the changes in sea surface temperature instrumentation and protocols (70% of the globe). As the conditions had deteriorated below this minima, the RNAV GNSS approach could not be conducted in normal operations. The Manual of Air Traffic Services (MATS) is an Airservices and Department of Defence internal document that promulgates the procedures for the provision of air traffic services in Australia. In addition, the Virgin meteorologist reviewed other information sources to determine the probable impact of fog on the arrival of Velocity 1384. Ltd. as Velocity 1384 and VH-VYK operated by Qantas Airways Ltd. as Qantas 735, were on scheduled passenger flights to Adelaide, South Australia. Taking into account the forecast fog and these holding requirements at Melbourne, neither Velocity1384nor Qantas 735 had sufficient fuel to proceed to Melbourne from Adelaide. Given that the bureau has installed these probes in over 500 locations around Australia, you would assume that the proper comparative tests would have been extremely thorough, and performed at various sites of temperature extremes before they were widely introduced. The captain reporting obtaining about 6.5 hours sleep the night prior to the occurrence and being well rested. This decision was further influenced by the fact that the observation reports for Mildura showed an improving trend in conditions. The aircraft tracked to the north-east of the aerodrome and the crew informed ATC that they would conduct an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 23 and then land using the aircraft's autoland system. On board were six crew and 146 passengers. Observations; Sydney Observations; All NSW Observations; Rainfall & River Conditions; VIC. The captain had also held Training Captain/Approved Testing Officer approvals since April 2003. Similar calculations for Velocity 1384 indicated that the fuel on board at 0918 permitted the aircraft to hold for about 5 minutes before diverting to Adelaide and landing with the fixed fuel reserve intact. Routine aerodrome weather report issued at fixed times, hourly or half-hourly. Mildura - Archived Radar - Rain Close menu Home Radar Observations Satellite Forecasts Video Map Login Register Account Logout Figure 4: Location of the fuel quantity indication on the upper display unit (circled in yellow), Figure 5: Fuel quantity display in detail with an explanation of the LOW FUEL, FUEL CONFIGURATION AND FUEL IMBALANCE indications. The flight following policy was rewritten. The lower minima for the RNAV GNSS approach was based on the higher accuracy possible with GPS (GNSS) tracking. The ARO was calling to query why aircraft were diverting to Mildura given the conditions. And they fail! Broadcast system components comprised a ground- or spacebased transmitter, an aircraft receiver and a portable or installed cockpit display device. A fail operational system is a higher capability. On 12 March 2009, amendment 58 of the AIP changed the pilot responsibility in relation to FIS from requesting the operational information to obtaining the information. Sun & Moon. The aircraft, operated by Virgin Australia, was en route from Brisbane, Queensland, to Adelaide, South Australia, with five crew and 86 passengers on board when the crew diverted the aircraft to Mildura. The 0954 amended TAF was passed to Mildura traffic by the Mallee controller once it was released by the BoM. Alerting function of special weather reports (SPECI) is not met by the automatic broadcast services, Limited provision of flight information service for some non major airports, Information Publication Scheme - Agency Publication Plan, Human Factors for Transport Safety Investigators course, Transport Safety Investigation Regulations, Information for police and coronial officers, Railway accident guidelines for operators, Mandatory - Aviation accident or incident notification, Voluntary - REPCON Aviation Confidential Reporting Scheme, Mandatory - Marine accident or incident notification, Voluntary - REPCON Marine Confidential Reporting Scheme, Mandatory - Rail accident or incident notification, Voluntary - REPCON Rail Confidential Reporting Scheme. The ILS transmitter was a Category 1 unit with a minimum visibility of 1,200 m required for landing. [19] At that time, they were about 150 NM (278 km) south-west of Brisbane. have the term METAR or SPECI appended to the report by the BoM before their distribution, including to ATC, via the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network. At 0950, Velocity 1384 sought an update on the weather from Qantas 735, who stated that the fog had appeared to be getting thicker but was now clearing, although the cloud was still below minima. As with the broadcast of weather observations via ATIS, an AWIS does not append the words METAR or SPECI to weather observations that are broadcast via AWIS. At 1012, ATC initiated a distress phase. Observations Sydney Observations All NSW Observations Rainfall & River Conditions VIC VIC Weather & Warnings Warnings Summary Forecasts Melbourne Forecast Vic. CASA responded that a pilot is able to use a valid forecast and observation information. At the same time, Airservices were also conducting a review of the provision of hazard alerting services to aircraft. 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