Reporting of Occurrences
Reporting of occurrences, defects, hazards and complaints plays a vital role in the ongoing safety efforts by RAAus.
This information not only allows us to understand what is happening within the field, but also allows the collection of important data in order to prioritise safety objectives, identify safety concerns, and communicate relevant safety items, ultimately improving safety for all members.
RAAus has an occurence management system (OMS) which fulfills member requirements to report accidents and incidents. This system also allows reporting of defects, hazards, and confidential complaints. RAAus is proud of our open and fair reporting culture which aims to support members who report occurrences and ensure their ongoing safety is a priority.
If you have an occurence you need to report, please click below to be directed to our occurrence management system.
If you need to report an accident, please call RAAus on 02 6280 4700 (24hours)
To submit an occurrence report, please click ‘Report an Occurrence’ below:
Reporting of occurrences is a legal requirement under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003.
The information below has been provided to educate members on their reporting obligations:
How do I report an occurrence?
To report an occurrence, CLICK HERE, or go to reporting.raaus.com.au
You can then select to report:
- An accident or incident
- A defect
- An identified hazard
- A confidential complaint
Complete the form online and submit to report to RAAus.
If you have any concerns, please contact RAAus at safety@raaus.com.au or Ph: 02 6280 4700
What can I report with RAAus?
The RAAus OMS allows you to report more than incidents and accidents.
It allows you to report:
- Accidents
- Incidents
- Hazards
- Defects
- Confidential complaints
This information is extremely important as it allows RAAus to act on behalf of our members and notify relevant parties in the event that we identify something that has the potential to negatively impact the safety of others.
Do I have to report occurrences?
Pilots, aircraft owners, flight instructors, witnesses and maintainers have a legal obligation to report occurrences under the Transport Safety Investigation Act.
The RAAus OMS makes it easy for members to fulfil their reporting obligations, as reports submitted to RAAus also complete their reporting requirements under the Act.
Occurrence types can be broken down into two categories, an Immediately reportable matter (IRM) or a routinely reportable matter (RRM). For more information on IRMs and RRMs, see below “What is an IRM or RRM”.
What is an IRM or RRM?
Occurrence types can be categorised as an Immediately Reportable Matter (IRM) or Routinely Reportable Matter (RRM) based on the severity of the occurrence and whether this relates to an accident or incident.
Immediately reportable matter (IRM)
IRMs are accidents or serious incidents that affect the safety of aircraft. These may include occurrences that result in injury or damage to an aircraft or other property.
IRMs may include:
- Runway overshoot or undershoot
- Loss of control event
- Landing gear failure
IRMs must be reported to RAAus by telephone as soon as practical, and a written report must be submitted within 72 hours.
Routinely reportable matter (RRM)
RRMs are occurrences that have, or could have, affected safety.
RRMs may include:
- Runway incursion, excursion or ground loop, resulting in no damage
- A flat tyre
- Taxiing collision
- Bird strike
- Go-around due to another aircraft
- A near miss
RRMs often do not result in any damage, and a written report must be submitted within 72 hours.
I am an L1, L2 or L4 Maintainer, what are my reporting requirements?
Aircraft maintainers, including owner maintainers and higher maintenance approval holders, have an obligation to report all known defects.
The RAAus Technical Manual outlines maintenance reporting requirements and defines a defect as any fault in the design, function or qualitative characteristic of an item fitted to an aircraft which differs from the specification, the drawing, or recognised standard of good workmanship for that item other than that classified as fair wear and tear within manufacturer’s limits. Maintainers also have the requirement to report where a maintenance schedule or flight manual is considered to be deficient.
An example of this may include identifying that a wheel rim on an aircraft is cracked. Though this may be the first time you have witnessed this issue, you should still submit a defect report. Nationally there may be a problem that we are able to identify through multiple receipts of similar reports, however if this issue is simply fixed without reporting to RAAus then we are unable to communicate the issue to other members. Instead, we may only become aware of it when on another aircraft the part fails on landing, resulting in an accident and potential injury.
RAAus communicates known defects to aircraft manufacturers, and where required may issue an airworthiness notice to aircraft owners / operators and other interested persons, advising them of a known defect or deficiency and rectification action.
What does RAAus do after they receive a report?
Every submission received by RAAus is manually processed by our team who complete a risk assessment and review the reported information.
Following the initial assessment, the occurrence is then delegated to the appropriate department for review and follow-up. If the occurrence is identified as being high risk or has the potential to seriously impact the safety of other members, the occurrence is reviewed by our management team for any immediate action needed to ensure member safety.
If the occurrence does not have serious safety implications and is specific to the member(s) involved, then this will be reviewed to ensure the member or aircraft is able to continue operating safely.
What action does RAAus take on pilots who submit a report?
RAAus maintains a just and fair reporting culture, sometimes referred to as a just culture – But what does this mean for our membership?
Essentially, it means that we do not use reporting as a tool to punish members, but as a tool to educate and improve safety for everyone. Without members feeling comfortable to report we would be unable to collect important data and maintain a positive safety culture within RAAus.
As humans, RAAus accepts that everyone makes mistakes – This means that members should not be disciplined for making a genuine mistake, rather we ensure that member safety is not compromised.
The main priority when reviewing an occurrence report is to understand the reasons or contributing factors for why an event occurred and where possible attempt to prevent this from happening again. This may be as simple as identifying that an occurrence occurred due to factors outside of the control of the pilot, or understanding that the pilot has subsequently put measures in place to prevent this from reoccurring. However, if there are concerns raised relating to the ongoing safety of a pilot or a member has a history of unsafe operation or RAAus has received a number of similar reports then additional requirements such as development or improvement of training processes or remedial training for a pilot with a local instructor may be required. This is not a regular occurrence with a majority of occurrences requiring little or no additional effort.
RAAus must take action in relation to members who have been identified as actively and wilfully breaking the rules. Deliberate violations of RAAus or CASA rules may result in some form of restriction being placed on a member privileges or in more serious cases the suspension or removal of privileges. These outcomes are achieved by following the process outlined within the RAAus Occurrence Complaint and Disciplinary manual available in the Members Portal at https://members.raa.asn.au/governance/corporate-documents/policy/.
I witnessed an occurrence, do I need to report this?
The Transport Safety Investigation (TSI) Act states that any responsible person who has knowledge of a reportable matter must submit a report within the required timeframe.
RAAus encourages all members to report anything they see, even if they are not directly involved. If an occurrence has already been reported by the responsible person then RAAus can link reports received from third parties, however, if they have not yet been reported it allows RAAus to follow up with the members involved.
If you have witnessed an occurrence you can always contact RAAus via phone or email to notify them in case this has not yet been reported, or submit a report online within the RAAus Occurrence Management System (OMS).
All too often, RAAus investigates a serious or fatal accident only to be informed by locals that the pilots were known to regularly operate outside the rules, have a reputation for operating recklessly, or have been involved in accidents or incidents that have gone unreported. This highlights the concern that people are failing to meet their reporting obligations under the TSI Act, but also, that others may be turning a blind eye to members who are not adhering to the rules.