a PNR [Point of No Return]), if necessary. The dispatch duty manager had oversight of the dispatch and flight watch functions at Qantas Airways Ltd. (Qantas). Ultimately the responsibility for collecting information, such as weather updates, to support in-flight decision making remains with the pilot in command. In the case of the occurrence flights, as the TAF for Adelaide that was used for flight planning did not require an alternate, each aircraft departed with sufficient fuel to reach Adelaide and land with the stipulated fuel reserves intact. At 0700, when the amended TAF for Adelaide was issued, Velocity 1384 was established at flight level (FL) 400 in the cruise. While the increase in data was a benefit to BoM, an unexpected outcome was the production of numerous AUTO SPECI reports. Meteorological Information for Aircraft in Flight (VOLMET). 2 tank supplying the majority of the fuel to both engines and therefore being used at a higher rate. Conversely, if crew are not aware, or primed, of a situation they may not recognise relevant information that could assist their decision making. In addition, they had sufficient fuel to hold for about 45 minutes should the fog last longer than forecast and land with required fuel reserves. Between 0928 and 0932, three further SPECIs were issued for Mildura, indicating that visibility was decreasing in mist. By providing SPECI information proactively, the risk of it being missed as a function of pilot workload, or limitations in the range of AWIS, is reduced. A Boeing 737 aircraft had been able to land on runway 05 following a VOR/DME approach, so the A320 crew attempted to conduct a similar approach. This includes weather and operational information for the destination, which should be considered prior to a decision point or point of no return. Issued at 11:32 am EDT Thursday 19 January 2023 (issued every 10 minutes, with the page automatically refreshed every 10 minutes), Comma delimited format used in spreadsheet applications However, on the day of the occurrence, the AWIS was subject to a NOTAM stating it was not broadcasting. VH-YIR was fitted with satellite communications (SATCOM) equipment that supported telephone and ACARS equipment. It allows for completion of the ILS and autoland following failure of any single system component after a specified alert height as determined by a number of safety parameters. The 0158 amended TAF for Mildura Airport was available to both flight crew and predicted a temporary deterioration (TEMPO) of the weather. Many non-major airports in Australia have an AWIS and, as this is classified as an ABS, ATC will generally not alert pilots to significant deteriorations or improvements in specified weather condition (SPECIs) at those locations. 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. The captain was still the pilot flying; however, they briefed that if at any time during the approach the FO sighted the runway, then the FO was to take control and land. This transmission was captured on Velocity 1384s cockpit voice recording. The second chart and table were added to this post the next morning (12 Feb. 2018) to aid understanding, and add clarity. This research investigation will initially examine the reliability of the aerodrome forecasts for Mildura and Adelaide Airports, before expanding to cover other major Australian airports. It might be worth asking Anthony Watts if he knows of any from his US Surface Stations Investigation. Cloud unexpected significant variations to amount, base or tops (by reference to QNH); Visibility reduced due fog, mist, hail, rain, snow or dust, improvement observed; Wind significant variation to forecast; Other Phenomena incidence of severe or moderate turbulence, thunderstorms, moderate or severe icing, hail, line squalls, standing waves or winds of 40 KT or more within 2,000FT of ground level. So it is possible that a brief transient change would be very different to an average over the same minute. Partly cloudy. PS The silence accorded the Bureau by the mainstream media for all of their indiscretions is much more complete than that ever accorded Barnaby Joyce. At 0816 the flight crew received information about the current conditions at Adelaide. Notwithstanding this industry view, there is a requirement for pilots to obtain all relevant weather information inflight to aid operational decision making. This investigation will analyse Bureau of Meteorology data across Australian airports, with a focus on those supporting regular public transport operations, and is subject to the availability of long-term data holdings of aviation forecasts and observations. The second opportunity occurred at 0838, when ATC updated Qantas 735 on the conditions at Adelaide. Air traffic information is not provided. Mildura current and historical weather radar from the BoM Rain Rate. This arrangement is consistent with the service provided by Airservices. In relation to forecasts and warnings, the ASH outlined a framework for prioritising tasks. The broadcasts are of 5minutes duration and occur at times 0005 and 3035 (commencing on the hour and half hour). It was also noted at the forum that, while ACARS equipment is widely fitted and used on large jet aircraft, not all Australian airline fleets are equipped with ACARS. The captain reporting obtaining about 6.5 hours sleep the night prior to the occurrence and being well rested. AIP GEN 3.5 paragraph 4.1 defined aerodrome weather reports as: reports of observations of meteorological conditions at an aerodrome. Alternate fuel is calculated as sufficient fuel to approach the destination, conduct a missed approach and proceed to the nominated alternate airport for landing. This information is sourced from the airports AWS and is generally broadcast continuously and updated every minute. For in-flight FIS, the service consisted of three elements: ATC-initiated FIS allowed for the provision to crews by ATC of pertinent operational information. The captain was the pilot flying and the first officer (FO) was the pilot monitoring. About 10 minutes later, the TTF was amended to forecast fog to occur before the aircraft's arrival time. Due to unforecast weather in Adelaide, both aircraft diverted to an alternate airport at Mildura, Victoria. On 7 June 2007, amendment 51 of the AIP redefined the elements of an FIS by adding an ATCinitiated FIS and removing the Hazard Alert Service. The sources of information during the investigation included: Endsley, M 1997, The role of situation awareness in naturalistic decision making, in C Zsambok & G Klein (Eds.) I understand that parallel recordings allow you to understand whether the two types of thermometers are measuring the same temperature, but what is the point unless the thermistor temperatures are adjusted down to compensate. While the 0700 amended TAF and 0800 TTF were not required to be sent to the crew under Virgins flight following procedures, not passing the weather removed an important source of information regarding the deteriorating conditions at Adelaide. This data could be accessed from ATC on request, or by pilots directly via a telephone number that was provided in the NOTAM. In contrast, the crew of Qantas 735 had greater time to make that assessment. To The controller on duty on 18June2013had 9 years of experience in the operations department at Virgin. A signal from an aircraft to the ground station is used to calculate its distance from the ground station. As a result, the ATSB sought clarification from CASA on the extent to which pilots are able to use observation reports for in-flight planning decisions, such as to continue to the destination or initiate a diversion. In addition, the forecaster believed that once formed, the fog would dissipate fairly rapidly. The B737-800 is equipped with three fuel tanks. The AIP defined hazard alerts to include: observations, pilot reports, or amended forecasts indicating that weather conditions at the destination have unexpectedly deteriorated below the IFR or VFR alternate minima, and. Woomera was not considered by either crew as there were no company facilities at that airport, nor was it a routine destination for the airlines. Shortly after both crew initiated a diversion to Mildura, the BoM released an amended TAF for Mildura, removing the TEMPO requirement. ATC, FSSs and, if applicable, AOCC [airline operations control center] VHF/HF voice remain as a redundant method of communicating aviation weather, NOTAMs, and other operational information to aircraft in flight. Readmore. Based on this revised information, the crew of Qantas 735 decided to divert to Mildura Airport, rather than holding or conducting an autoland at Adelaide. The low fuel and fuel imbalance checklists did not contain any memory Items. This included meteorological conditions and the existence of non-routine met products. The controllers were supported by aisle supervisors and a systems supervisor. However, on the day the fog did not clear as anticipated, which resulted in the forecast end period for the fog being inaccurate. At a number of the AWIS locations, the broadcast is pilot-activated via radio. FIS should not serve as the sole source of aviation weather and other operational information. This map will be updated as more accurate modelling becomes available. Mildura Get weather for: Search You do not have a default location set To set your location please use the search box to find your location and then click "set as my default location" on the local weather page. Sunny. It stated that controllers were to consult a number of sources of information to assess if a hazard alert was necessary. In line with Airservices Australia (Airservices) procedures, as Mildura broadcast weather information via an Aerodrome Weather Information Service (AWIS)[7], the controller responsible for this sector was not automatically-provided with the SPECI reports at their console. As such, both aircraft were committed to land in conditions below the landing minima at Mildura Airport. 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 approach was being conducted in instrument meteorological conditions. You should read the important information in these notes. At 0936 the controller made a broadcast on the area frequency to traffic at Mildura, informing them of the details of the 0932 SPECI. 1 main wing tank. For the 3 days preceding the occurrence, they advised going to bed by 2000. In addition, some of these unforecast deteriorations were observed during approach, meaning the deterioration was only just prior to the arrival of the aircraft. However, neither crew had access to this TAF and, even if they had, they would not have been able to use it for flight planning purposes at that stage as it was not valid for use before 1000. In the case of Mildura, the quality and length of the available parallel data makes it difficult to draw any real conclusions about the equivalence of measurements from the electronic probe installed in July 2012, with measurements from earlier probes and/or the mercury thermometer first installed back in 1889. Table 1: Captains aeronautical experience. At altitudes above 10,000 ft in Australia, an aircrafts height above mean sea level is referred to as a flight level (FL). These included the following products: US AIP GEN 3.5 section 7 described two basic types of FIS, broadcast only, which was called FIS-B and two-way request/reply. 2 main wing tank remained constant. Given the speed at which it developed, the fog was forecast to lift in about 12 hours. These include increased monitoring and support as required and the potential to reduce pilot workload in stressful situations. In accordance with the core standards and recommended practices outlined in Annex 3, the BoM had implemented a quality management system that was certified in accordance with the standards contained in AS/NZISO9001:2008. These levels depend on the: A system component failure in a fail passive system will not result in significant deviation of the aircrafts flight path but will mean that the aircraft can no longer be landed automatically. C. Discretionary loading of additional fuel by an aircraft captain was allowed under each operators fuel policy. Sun protection recommended from 9:30 am to 5:50 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 12 [Extreme]. Web. The BoM further stated that forecast amendments are based on a number of factors and not limited to aerodrome weather reports. As the Mildura AWIS was not broadcasting, application of the lower minima could only be applied if the actual QNH was obtained from ATC. Distribute short AIREPs originated by general aviation pilots to: the MET office responsible for MET watch over the area, the briefing office associated with the area. However, at about 0934 when their workload had reduced, they obtained the latest weather for Mildura to inform their assessment of the appropriate response to the ambulance pilots report. accuracy of aviation meteorological products in Australia. These broadcasts normally cease either after 1 hour or after an updated MET product or NOTAM is available, whichever occurs earlier. Web. At 0937 the crew of Qantas 735 contacted the crew of Velocity 1384 to discuss the arrival and the crew of Velocity 1384 stated that they were tracking to the initial waypoint to commence the RNAV GNSS approach to runway 27. 2 main wing tank and 1,054 kg in the No. Lance Pidgeon. To place a telephone order call (03) 5027 4526 If you require assistance phone the office on (03) 5027 4953 or call into the Dareton office in person. Well done again Jennifer, the lack of overlapping parallel data being made public and the method of measuring temperatures just shows how serious this million dollars a day BOM are about basic standards. In addition, it is not possible for an ABS to recognise the importance of, and then actively disseminate SPECI information to pilots. Concerned about your property? In addition, both had a flight following (flight watch) service for long haul operations (typically international) and limited following for short haul domestic operations. Central Flight Watch desk dissolved and Flight Following introduced mid 2014 with desks split up into regions and Flight Following assigned to individual desks. As a result, significant weather deteriorations may remain unnoticed unless the pilot: The inherent passivity of the ABS increases the risk that potential landing options will unknowingly reduce in critical situations. The blue shaded area represents what hydrologists estimate the extent of the floods may be based on historical information captured (for example: photos and gauge heights). Given the speed in which it developed, the fog was forecast to dissipate in about 12 hours. Cloud remained overcast at 100 ft. - Occurs when fuel quantity is less than 907 kg (2,000 lbs) in the related main wing tank. Velocity 1384 departed Brisbane, Queensland at 0638 Eastern Standard Time[1] and had six crew and 85 passengers on board. Significant fluctuations in forecast accuracy and the resulting risk to safety were observed over time. In relation to the use of observation reports for in-flight planning, CASA noted that weather observations are not a legal instrument to determine if an alternate should be held or for fuel planning, unless the observation has a trend appended to it (eg TTF). It should be noted that while these actions were being carried out, the crew were also managing air traffic and making decisions relating to the occurrence of fog at the airport. The ATSB found that the weather deterioration at Adelaide did not appear on the forecast when both aircraft departed their respective ports and furthermore the forecast duration of the fog in the later, amended forecast showed a clearance time earlier than actually occurred. There was no corresponding guidance for application to crews in-flight planning. Harris, D & Li, WC 2015, Decision Making in Aviation, Ashgate Publishing. The increased number of automatically-generated weather observations increased the amount of weather being delivered to controllers consoles for various airports. If not, what did they record it for? During normal operations both engines are pressure fed from the centre tank until it is empty and then each engine is pressure fed from its respective wing tank. A weather advisory service issued to warn of potentially hazardous (significant) or extreme meteorological conditions that are dangerous to most aircraft, such as thunderstorms or extreme turbulence. Additionally, subsequent sections stated: 3.3.4 For aircraft in flight, flight information is normally confined to information concerning the route being flown up to and including the next attended aerodrome. The crew of Velocity1384asked for an appreciation of the weather and were told by the Dash-8 crew that at the minima, they couldnt see anything. The Tailem Bend en route sector comprised the airspace from 36 NM (67 km) to 140 NM (259 km) to the east of Adelaide Airport. The operational information required to be provided by ATC to pilots was amended to require the provision of information about meteorological conditions and the existence of non-routine meteorological products such as SPECI reports and amended TAFs. At 0800, when the TTF was issued for Adelaide showing fog that was predicted to clear from 0900, Virgins flight watch personnel again reviewed the product for applicability to Velocity 1384. In addition, once the controllers workload decreased, they commenced passing the latest SPECI and amended TAF information to aircraft at Mildura. 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 captains relevant aeronautical experience is outlined in Table 1. A review of the relevant ATC recorded radio communication identified that the first opportunity was at 0816, when the crew of Qantas 735 requested further information from ATC regarding conditions in Adelaide. An improvement in visibility was recorded from 1042, when the visibility increased above 3,000 m. 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