Evidence from the relevant ATC enroute sector recorded radio communication showed that controllers were providing inbound aircraft within 60minutes of Adelaide Airport with advice of an amended TAF and of ongoing SPECIs. This data could be accessed from ATC on request, or by pilots directly via a telephone number that was provided in the NOTAM. In this instance, the controller did not pass the AIREP to incoming aircraft nor to their supervisor, who could have informed BoM of the deterioration. The amendment also introduced the following change regarding the availability of aerodrome weather reports (METAR/SPECI): In addition, when there was a sudden change in pertinent operational information that was not described in a current meteorological product or NOTAM, and the change had an immediate and detrimental effect on the safety of an aircraft, ATC would communicate this change to pilots with the prefix Hazard Alert. At 1130, the visibility had increased to greater than 10 km and the cloud was now listed as few at 300 ft. Further information on the Adelaide and Mildura forecasts and observations is in appendixC. The ICAO Annex 3 Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation does not permit the inclusion in a TAF of a probability of less than 30 per cent that a weather phenomenon, such as fog, may occur during the forecast period. While the crew was manoeuvring the aircraft for an approach to runway 34L at Sydney, the fog moved across the threshold of that runway reducing visibility to below the landing minima. The highest annual total for such events was nine, as recorded in 1956 and 1983. Three minutes later, the FO was heard on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) as being happy to leave those pumps off. MATS version7, effective on 11 March 2009, amended the examples of non-routine meteorological products to selected SPECI reports under the Scope of FIS section. 2 tank supplying the majority of the fuel to both engines and therefore being used at a higher rate. This was the approach conducted by both Velocity 1384 and Qantas 735. Supervisors at Melbourne Centre indicated that the BoM would often ask for more than one report of deteriorating weather to inform their decision making in relation to amending a forecast. It is considered likely that fatigue was not a factor in the captains performance in the occurrence. ATC asked them to nominate a latest divert time to proceed to a suitable airport. This was based on the knowledge that the cloud base would preclude becoming visual via a normal approach. In particular, if a SPECI report was available from an automatic broadcast service (ABS) then it would not be made available to the pilot by ATC. In response the forecaster contacted the BoM observer located at Mildura Airport. Whomsoever is in charge of this outfit must be a cowboy, and the workers presumably lazy cattle hands who just go with the flow. To supplement the information already provided, the crew asked ATC for the latest observation reports for Mildura. Certainly not when temperatures are soaring! The document described specific flight information regions in which the procedures were to apply, each having a section that was further divided into chapters dealing with specific topics. If you are using these pages, you are deemed to have understood the important information in these notes. The AIP also indicated that the FIS comprised three elements: The automatic broadcast services (ABS) consisted of: An automatic terminal information service (ATIS) is an automated pre-recorded transmission indicating the prevailing weather conditions at an airport and other relevant operational information for arriving and departing aircraft. This arrangement is consistent with the service provided by Airservices. To print this page, get the PDF version (one page, 45 kb). This was the case for Adelaide Airport, which is affected by fog about four or five times a year. 2 tank were selected back to ON, with the crossfeed valve open. These were triggered by a change in one of the recorded parameters meeting the requirements for a SPECI (see the section titled Automatic weather station). The TAF also included TEMPO periods between 0500 and 1000 in which the cloud base was forecast to reduce to 600 ft AGL. They are not at the same site [about 2 klm apart] so it will be no comparison anyway but when they have this valuable historical data, why destroy it? However, on the day of the occurrence, the AWIS was subject to a NOTAM stating it was not broadcasting. Given the sleep obtained and rest opportunities available, it is not considered likely that FO fatigue was a factor in the occurrence. However, the timely dissemination of such information optimises the likelihood of effective flight crew planning and decision making. Exposure to weather conditions below the landing minima at Mildura was found to be very unlikely during the period studied. Often the reports were consistent with the forecast, or were triggered by an improvement in conditions. Ltd. as Velocity 1384 and VH-VYK operated by Qantas Airways Ltd. as Qantas 735, were on scheduled flights to Adelaide, South Australia. The flight crew of Qantas 735 asked ATC if this improvement appeared likely as forecast and, as a result, the en route controller contacted Adelaide Tower to ascertain the current conditions. The March 2009 changes to the AIP were communicated to the aviation industry by three methods. 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. Web. However, fog had been forecast for both Edinburgh and Parafield airports. On nearing Adelaide, the forecast improvement in weather conditions had not occurred and as a result, both aircraft commenced a diversion to Mildura, Victoria. This was in response to their receipt of the 0800 TTF showing fog and the crew nearing their diversion point (see the following section titled Qantas735). 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. In addition, dissemination of the AIREP to both Velocity 1384 and Qantas 735 when they came on frequency would have ensured they were aware of the deterioration at Mildura prior to arriving overhead the airport. IDCJDW3051.202211Prepared at 16:01 UTC on Monday 16 January 2023. This included the 0800 TTF, which indicated the fog would dissipate by 0900. In this respect, Adelaide Airport did not meet all of the regulatory and redundancy requirements for a higher certification. Automatic En Route Information Service (AERIS). In this update, ATC stated that the visibility was now 500 m in fog, with no landing attempts having been made for a while. This claim, however, cannot be verified because the BoM uses a non-standard method for recording temperatures at Mildura, and furthermore the parallel data provided to me in December 2017 as proof of equivalence is flawed and deficient. Data from the aircrafts flight data recorder (FDR) showed that at 0933, as Velocity 1384 was on descent to Mildura, a fuel imbalance developed between the main wing tanks (No.1 and No. Given the speed at which it developed, the fog was forecast to lift in about 12 hours. The dispatch duty manager was a qualified dispatcher with over 36 years experience in dispatch. Given the prevalence of AWIS at many nonmajor airports in Australia, there remains a risk that, given this 30-minute gap in the availability of weather reports, pilots will not be made aware of significant weather deteriorations at these airports in sufficient time to support their in-flight decision making. This information will include data concerning unfavourable flight conditions and other known hazards; which may not have been available to the pilot prior to takeoff or which may have developed along the route of flight. Unforecast fog developed at Sydney Airport after the aircraft passed the flight planned last point of safe diversion, which had been based on a diversion to Melbourne. Parallel data from Mildura preliminary findings. At 0844, when Velocity 1384 and Qantas 735 were both on the Tailem Bend sector frequency, the controller provided the following information: Qantas seven-thirty-five and Velocity thirteen-eighty-four you are probably both aware of the weather in Adelaide at the moment. - Displayed until any imbalance is reduced to 91 kg (200 lbs). The crew decided to conduct an autopilot-coupled approach with automatic landing, as fog was also present at Edinburgh Airport, rendering that airport unsuitable as an alternate. Chapter 6 Air Traffic Services, stated: Amended aerodrome forecasts shall be passed to aircraft within 60 minutes from the aerodrome of destination, unless the information has been made available through other means. At interview, the first officer (FO) of Velocity1384 confirmed that this was their understanding of the flight following service for domestic operations. 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. 2. For example, informing ATC of a non-routine situation will increase the level of monitoring a flight will receive. At the time of writing, the results of this research for Mildura Airport were available and are summarised below. The ATSB examined the training and guidance material available to air traffic controllers relating to the provision of air traffic services. A further article in the Flight Safety Australia, MarchApril 2012 edition, outlined the provision of ATCinitiated flight information services. Fuel tank capacity is indicated in Table 5. The aircraft had departed Brisbane at about 0630 that morning and carried sufficient fuel for the flight to Adelaide. At the time that Velocity 1384 and Qantas 735 switched to the Tailem Bend frequency, the last enroute frequency before Adelaide Approach, the controller queried both crews awareness of the fog at Adelaide Airport. A signal from an aircraft to the ground station is used to calculate its distance from the ground station. Similarly, once the 0918 Mildura SPECI was available showing the deterioration, there was also no need for this prefix. This included clarification of the minimum requirements of the service provided (i.e. Ultimately the responsibility for collecting information, such as weather updates, to support in-flight decision making remains with the pilot in command. (Weather station: Mildura Airport, Australia). Web. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is the designated meteorological authority in Australia for the provision of a meteorological service for international air navigation in accordance with International Aviation Civil Organization (ICAO) Annex 3 Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation. However, the calculation techniques and reporting frequency are different. The crews estimated arrival time at Mildura was 0932. However at the time of the occurrence, only Qantas had the appropriate approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to conduct autoland operations in B737 aircraft. 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. In addition, the Virgin meteorologist reviewed other information sources to determine the probable impact of fog on the arrival of Velocity 1384. 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