Incident and Accident Investigation

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Introduction

Since the invention of airplanes by the Wright brothers in the early 20^th century, major developments have taken place that have made air transport one of the safest means of transport available today. It is said that the Wright brothers airplane lasted for only few seconds in the air before coming down. In the contemporary world, plane manufacturers have increased, with majority being found in Europe and in the United States of America. The two major dominant plane manufactures are the Boeing and the Airbus, found in the United States of America and France respectively. However, as much as developments have continued to take place, accidents have continued to happen, although at a low rate compared to the past when aero planes were being introduced on large scale.

People who would be expected to be available for investigation and the reasons behind

Following the plane crash in Indonesia, some of the people who would come to assist with investigation from other parts of the world are the flight engineers from Australia, working for the crashed airline. These people are very important in this kind of investigation because they were the ones who had been servicing the plane prior to the crash. They can provide vital information to other investigators as they seek the common answer; the cause of the accident.

The other groups of people who need to be present during the investigation are the engineers from the Airbus who manufactured the aircraft. These people are very important because they have full knowledge on the operating mechanism of the aircraft and hence they will be in a position to analyze the remains of the aircraft to determine the probable cause of the accident. In addition, the aircraft is usually fitted with a recorder referred to as the black box. In most cases when an aircraft crashes, it remains intact and hence provides the investigators with the pilots conversation just before the crash. With such people from Airbus on site, the cause of the accident is likely to be established and hence make proper adjustments to prevent such an accident from taking place in the future.

Representatives of International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the two main bodies that are responsible for the streamlining of airlines operations in the world, should be made part and parcel of the investigation. This is informed by the fact that, they are responsible for formulating laws governing the aircraft operations in the world. Incase they realize the accident was caused as a result of human error; they are in a position to recommend measures that airlines should take to avoid such accidents in the future. These people would also go ahead and investigate the history of that aircraft and report back to their respective authorities so that appropriate measures can be taken against the concerned airlines if the result proves negligence by the company.

The experts from the Australia Transport Safety Bureau are also likely to be present because the airline concerned hails from Australia. Since this is the body that is responsible in ensuring the safety in all means of transport in Australia, then there is likelihood that they will be present during the investigation period. Furthermore, they are the people who have the full knowledge of how the crashed aircraft has been operating, having obtained it from the BNZ Company.

Legislative considerations needed to be made in undertaking the investigation on behalf of the Indonesian government as the investigator of the Australia Transport Safety Bureau

It is paramount to remember that, this is an accident by an Australian aircraft that has happened in another country; Indonesia. As a result of this, there are some legislative procedures that need to be put in place to enhance smooth operations of the investigation process. At first, the Indonesian government needs to allow the investigators from outside the country carry out their investigations without interference from any quotas. According to (Mike, 2002), in a number of cases that air accidents investigators have been invited to carry out such a task, the government of that particular country remains one of the stumbling block in the realization of actual cause of the accident. As much as the Indonesian government has qualified personnel to carry out such investigations, they should allow other investigators from other countries to have their input in the matter. This can only be possible if the government makes laws that protect such cases.

In addition, the Indonesian government needs to commit itself to releasing the findings of the plane crash to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau first before they can be made public. It has been observed by a number of airline operators whose aircrafts have had accidents in other countries, the tendency by the government to release the findings to the public before the concerned airline is fully briefed on the cause. This is according to (Dominic, 2007), who has noted that such an act can jeopardize the operations of the concerned airline. Furthermore, the government needs to make sure that the families affected are kept with up to date information regarding the state of their beloved ones. This can only be possible if the government opens a disaster management centers where family and friends can call and inquire on the status of their colleagues. This ensures that the tension in the family members is reduced. This would also come in handy if the government opens a counseling center for both the victims of the accidents and their immediate family members. The counseling centers, according to (Barry, 2004), helps the victims in particular overcome the trauma suffered following such a horrific accident. He argues that many people who undergo such an experience find it hard to recover and might never ever wish to fly again, no matter the situation they might be in. Therefore, counseling comes as an important tool of overcoming the stress associated with plane crash. He argues that family members are usually the most affected because, in rare cases do plane crashes record any survivors. Hence, they too need to be taken to such counseling centers the moment they come to visit their loved ones in hospital.

Resources that Australia Transport Safety Bureau would be requested to provide and why

Whenever a plane accident takes place, there are a number of question experts in this fields ask themselves. One such question is the age of the aircraft. Therefore, as an investigator of the Australia Transport Safety Bureau, one of the information that I would seek from them is to provide the date when the aero plane involved in the accident was manufactured and the time it began its operations. This information is very useful because it can help the investigators narrow down on the probable cause of the accident. Wells, (2004) claims that a number of airlines are known to operate very old fleets that have lived beyond their specified period of operation. He points out that this is very serious because an accident can happen any time even when the whole aircraft has been given the green light to fly by the flight engineers. Once the Australia Transport Safety Bureau has provided this kind of information, I will be in a position to rule out old age as the probable cause of the accident if the plane has been in operations within the specified time of operation.

The additional information that I would seek from the Australia Transport Safety Bureau is the names of the pilots navigating the aircraft and the experience they had in their career prior to the accident. This kind of information is very useful because it provides a chance for investigators to know if the pilots had actually attained the required minimum number of hours to navigate an aircraft. In an attempt to cut down the costs of employing qualified pilots, according to (McCormick, 2003), some airlines have been blamed for allowing pilots who have not attained the required hours to operate their crafts. With that kind of information, it is then easier to shift the cause of the accident elsewhere, if it is established qualified personnel were in charge. The aim of providing the names of the pilots involved the accident is meant to help establish if either of them has a record of being involved in another accident. Such information would be essential to the airline affected because this can be a wake up call for them to provide refresher courses to their pilots.

Moreover, the records showing how the aircraft have been serviced prior to the accident should be provided by the Australia Transport Safety Bureau. This information is very critical because, it helps other investigators particularly those from the manufacturing company establish if the airline concerned could be blamed for not playing their role by servicing the aircraft when it is due. It has been observed by (Reason, 2008) that the cost of servicing is very high and therefore many of the operators opt to take risk by not taking the aircraft to the hangar on time but rather let it operate for few more hours before it is taken for the service. This in the end leads to such an accident that would have been avoided if proper guidelines were adhered to.

The cargo weight statement could also be resourceful information that could be provided by the Australia Transport Safety Bureau. (McCormick, 2003) argues that some plane crashes in the past have been contributed by humans who load the aircraft more weight that it can carry. A300 is a big aircraft able to carry pallets in its lower deck positions and therefore it is important to determine the actual weight loaded on these positions to know if it could be a probable cause of the accident. He has noted some exporters do collude with the airlines ground handling team to doctor some of the weight so that the charges remain low. The result of this is overloading of the aircraft which at times lead to such eventualities. To avoid such cases, the cargo departments need to have a trusted weighing scale near the loading sections so that the weight of each pallet is re- weighed to confirm the weight reflected on the weight statement.

Before arriving onsite, what sort of considerations would you need to be made regarding the environment conditions and the well being of the personnel onsite? Why?

It is important to remember that when this accident took place, it was in the month of October, a period which Indonesia usually experiences a lot of rainfall. Therefore, prior to commencement of the journey to the crash site, the personnel involved should be well protected from rain, and cold. This involves having proper clothing for that particular job because the amount of rainfall might distract the operations.

The crash site needs to be sealed off completely so that people and weather conditions do not interfere with the materials scattered that might be used to make analysis. Therefore, if the area had a lot of rain by the time the plane came down, the investigators on site need to make sure that nothing is swept away by the rain waters as this may affect the investigation process dearly.

In addition to that, there should be adequate personnel who are going to attend to victims of this crash. Following such an accident, many people suffer multiple fractures in the body and as a result of this many of them require special attention. In order to accomplish this mission, a helicopter should be made available so that the seriously affected people can be airlifted to the nearby hospitals to save their lives. Ambulances should also be onsite so that those with minor injuries are rushed to the hospitals to have the extent of their injury checked.

The environment around the crash site needs to be easily accessible by all means; that is both by road and air. Some of the materials collected on site are very delicate and therefore have to be transported through the safest means of transport; air transport. Black box for example should be protected from being damaged by weather so that correct information can be derived from it.

What resources would you consider requesting the Indonesian Government to provide? Why?

Since the accident has taken place in Indonesia, the government of Indonesia has a lot to offer to ensure that the investigations are carried out smoothly. Prior to any investigations, the government has to allow the foreign investigators in the country. It is then from here that we, the investigators, can ask for resources from the government.

One of the resources that I would request the government of Indonesia to provide is its own air accident investigators. It should be known that the local investigators have the full knowledge on what could have caused the accident because they will have been informed by the air traffic controllers on what had transpired prior to the crash. These people understand the terrains in Indonesia more than I do and therefore having them as my co investigators can be a plus as we will maneuver the area with ease. In addition, the investigators from Indonesia can help in translating the opinion of the people who saw the plane come down.

I would also seek the services of the local police officers who would help keep the curious people at bay. Such a huge crowd of people may affect the quality of investigation being conducted as they seek to have a glimpse of the wreckage. Some might even go a step further and take away with them some of the very crucial parts like black box unknowingly which might be a big blow to the investigators. Therefore, the presence of the police is likely to keep such people at a distance as the investigation continues.

Fire fighting engines should also be put on standby. This is informed by the fact that no one died in the accident an indication that the aircraft is still intact which makes the investigators be wary of an imminent explosion that might happen in the course of investigation. According to (Beecher, 2008), many people in an aircraft accident die as a result of explosion after the impact. If this one then failed to explode the investigators have to make sure nothing is left to chance and hence requests that a fire fighter engine be on standby.

What hazards would likely be onsite? Address the hazards presented by the wreckage and the environment. How would you address these hazards?

Some of the hazards posed by the wreckage include the spilling of jet fuel on the ground. During the crash, the area was experiencing heavy downpour, an incident which means that some of the jet fuels could be carried by the water to the rivers where people get their drinking water from. This is a very serious because it can result to people suffering from diseases associated with consuming contaminated water. In addition, the plane had with it human waste that was washed away by the rain waters to the river. As a result, cases of diarrhea and typhoid were likely to be on the rise as people consumed this contaminated water unknowingly.

Furthermore, some engine parts are made of some low radioactive materials that can result to cancer in a person, if he or she is exposed to the parts for a long time. This is a major concern because some of these parts might be left on the ground when the wreckage is being transferred from the crash site. According to (Dominic, 2007), during a plane crash, the impacts results in the creation of a very big opening on the earth crust that becomes a threat to human life especially when it is filled with water. He argues this is usually worse in wet areas because the earth surface is soft. People can drown easily in them.

In order to remedy the situation, people should be made aware of the dangers they expose themselves once they take such water. It is the duty of the government of Indonesia to forbid people from consuming such water until that time when a go ahead would be given. In regard to some of the radio active materials being left behind, the airline concerned should make sure that every bit is collected is disposed off as required. This can prevent law suits that follow when such incidences take place. Incase the plane left a deep crater after the crash it should be buried immediately to avoid people losing their lives from avoidable causes.

During the onsite period, what would be the logistic challenges posed by the location of the accident site? How who you address this?

The main challenge posed by the location of the crash site is the means of accessing it. According to (Barry, 2004), air accidents are not limited to a particular area; just as we would expect cars to only collide while on the road. He points out that plane crashes takes place in any location like in the ocean, thick forests, and even in deserts and mountainous regions. In almost all accidents, he claims that the greatest challenge has been accessing the crash site. Therefore, transporting materials that would be considered critical in the analysis becomes a hard task. In most cases a helicopter is usually preferred because it can access the site pretty well but the costs associated with this are too much.

The other challenge posed by the location of the accident site is the inability to find a place to relax after a whole day work. (Cole, 2007) argues that some crash sites offer no room for the investigators to relax until they have exhausted their work. This is because; the location is very far from human inhabited areas. In order to overcome some of these challenges, investigators need to hire a helicopter that will help them access these areas with ease. This will help them carry out a comprehensive investigation that will likely to unearth the cause of this aircraft.

Conclusion

Plane crashes have over the years reduced because airline operators are taking care of their fleets well. Although the accidents have continued to remain fatal, the rates at which they have been taking place have greatly reduced. Aircraft manufacturers should look for ways through which they can improve the performance of the aero planes.

Reference List

Barry, S., 2004. Investigating Human Error: Incidents, Accidents, and Complex Systems. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Limited

Beecher, R., 2008. Managing risk: the human element. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.

Cole, H., 2007. Aviation in the 21^st Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dominic, A., 2007. Air Transport Regulation. New York: Routledge.

McCormick, B. W., 2003. Aircraft accident reconstruction and litigation. Tucson: Lawyers & Judges Publishing, Inc.

Mike, R., 2002. Aircraft accidents. Pennsylvania: McGraw Hill.

Reason, J. T., 2008. The human contribution: unsafe acts, accidents and heroic recoveries. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Limited.

.Wells, T., 2004. Commercial aviation safety. Pennsylvania: McGraw Hill.

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