In its recent annual report, the Australian Transportation Safety Board (ATSB) highlighted its top aviation safety concerns. “We are urging industry to give heightened attention to the risk areas identified by the agency,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan. “While we are seeing improvements in certain areas of transport safety, other risk areas remain a concern to the ATSB.”

One of the year’s notable transport safety achievements was the nationwide retrofit of the bladder-type fuel tank on all Robinson R44 helicopters. The bladder tank replaces the rigid aluminum tank, which was “highly susceptible” to post-impact fires.

The Board’s growing concern about accidents caused by flying under VFR with reduced visual references, such as in cloud or at night, has led to that matter also being included as a top transport safety risk area. The ATSB’s other aviation safety priorities are data input errors, non-tower airport operations, approaches and underreporting of accidents, incidents and ATC errors.