Aviation NZ Press release TAIC Report September

‘We welcome the clear direction provided by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) in its report into the aircraft accident in Central Otago in August 2014, which was released earlier today’, said John Nicholson, Chief Executive of Aviation New Zealand.

Clearly our thoughts are with the family of the pilot killed in the accident, the Glenorchy Air family, and with the United States tourists injured in the accident. But we must learn from the accident to ensure that something similar does not happen again.

TAIC recommends that the Director of Civil Aviation provides a clear statement to the aviation industry on whether stock clearing is a permitted activity.

‘From our viewpoint, using aircraft to clear stock from airstrips is a risky activity, it is much safer for farmers to do this on the ground’, said Nicholson. Ultimately though, pilots must make sure that remote strips are free from hazards before landing.

TAIC also comments on the importance of operators issuing clear guidelines and procedures and ensuring that they are complied with. ‘This hits at the core of the aviation industry in New Zealand’ Nicholson explained.

We need our seasoned and professional managers providing more supervision to their less experienced colleagues. Such oversight is critically important: they pass on knowledge, and, importantly, check and ensure that learning is absorbed and incorporated into everyday practices.

The safe growth of the aviation industry is important to the whole New Zealand economy.

To achieve this, users must be prepared to pay for the safety they demand. If the industry can move beyond the cost plus approach that prevails in some sectors, it can invest in new equipment and employ the staff to grow the businesses and ensure increased safety.

‘The TAIC report, while commenting on one accident, may provide the momentum for a more informed relationship between the Civil Aviation Authority, the aviation industry and consumers of aviation services, to constructively improve safety at a reasonable price, and which sees the industry flourish’, concluded Nicholson.

© Scoop Media