Executive summary
An airmiss occurred involving a formation of RNZAF Skyhawk aircraft and an Embraer 110 Bandeirante aircraft during Air Expo 92 at Auckland International Airport on 21 November 1992.
The safety issues discussed in this report are: the effectiveness of the procedures for promulgating arrangements for an airshow to individual military pilots and air traffic control officers, the observance of speed restrictions in controlled airspaces by military aircraft, the supervision of airshows by the Civil Aviation Authority, the arrangements for the participation of the RNZAF display director to participate in the controlling of military display aircraft, the adequacy of the provisions made for air traffic control during the airshow, the desirability of simultaneous operation of display and non-display aircraft in an airspace designated for an airshow, and the adequacy of the documents relating to approvals for the conduct of airshows.
Related Recommendations
Require his Rules Rewrite Team to review the requirements for gaining an approval to conduct an air show to: • Prohibit the simultaneous operation of display and non-display aircraft with any airspace designated for an air show.
Ensure that before the Airways Corporation agrees to provide Air Traffic Control at any air show a realistic evaluation of the workload on the ATS Controllers is conducted and the appropriate arrangements made to ensure no individual controller will be overloaded.
Review the organisation links between ATS staff responsible for out of the ordinary Air Traffic Control situations to ensure they provide for the optimum flow of essential information between the individuals involved.
Arrange a meeting with the RNZAF and ACNZ to review the RNZAF's understanding of the observance of the airspeed restrictions in controlled airspace.
Establish an understanding with CAA/ACNZ on the need or otherwise for military aircraft to exceed the promulgated airspeed restrictions in controlled airspace.
Review the existing understandings with the RNZAF in relation to the observance of airspeed restrictions in controlled airspace.
Require all military formation leaders/aircraft captains participating in an air show to attend the pre-display briefing conducted by the organisers.
Require his Rules Rewrite Team to review the requirements for gaining an approval to conduct an air show to: • Ensure the CAA approval for the event is not given until agreement is obtained from the military that they will comply with the relevant civil requirements and the specific provisions for air traffic control during the event have been reviewed in detail.
Require his pilots to comply with the Civil Aviation Safety Order or any other civil document governing the conduct of a particular air show in which military aircraft are involved or advise the organisers of any parts of such instructions with which he is not prepared to comply.
Require his Rules Rewrite Team to review the requirements for gaining an approval to conduct an air show to: • Assign a CAA Officer to ensure the Organiser of any air show complies with the approval throughout the running of the event.
Ensure appropriate provision is made to give effect to the requirement for military pilots participating in an air display to have clearance from the RNZAF Display Director before commencing his display.
Ensure any exemption from compliance with the airspeed restrictions in controlled airspace, approved by CAA, is properly promulgated.