• Israel Aircraft Industries Westwind VH-NGA, which ditched of Norfolk Island in 2009. (ATSB)
    Israel Aircraft Industries Westwind VH-NGA, which ditched of Norfolk Island in 2009. (ATSB)
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Senator Nick Xenophon has referred the ATSB report into the 2009 Pel-Air Westwind ditching to the Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport.

The ATSB returned its report late August that effectively concluded that pilot Dominic James failed to properly plan the flight. See the news item here.

Subsequently, the report and its finding were the subject of a probe by ABC current affairs program Four Corners, which highlighted concerns by the pilot and experienced analysts that some factors were not seen as contributors to the incident.

On September 13, SA Senator Xenophon moved that the report by submitted for inquiry by the senate committee. The terms of reference will be:

(a) the findings of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into the ditching of VH-NGA Westwind II, operated by Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd, in the ocean near Norfolk Island airport on 18 November 2009;

(b) the nature of, and protocols involved in, communications between agencies and directly interested parties in an aviation accident investigation and the reporting process;

(c) the mechanisms in place to ensure recommendations from aviation accident investigations are implemented in a timely manner; and

(d) any related matters.

If you have anything to say on the matter, you can make your submission to the committee on the Australian Parliament House website here.


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