TSB Watchlist Safety Issues

SAR IssuesIDGA Search and Rescue Canada Conference 2011

Martin Lacombe, MemberTransportation Safety Board of Canada

April 13, 2011Ottawa, Ontario

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Outline

• About the TSB

• Watchlist safety issues

• TSB / SAR experiences, issues / challenges

• Questions and answers

About the TSB

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TSB Investigations

• Approximately 4000 occurrences reported annually

• 62 in-depth investigations started in 2010

• We do not determine civil/criminal liability• We do not investigate military or criminal

occurrences• Not empowered to require change

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TSB’s Methodology

• Safety-critical information communicated to stakeholders immediately

• Various safety communications address different levels of risks

• Recommendations address systemic issues posing the highest risk

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TSB Communications–Outreach

• Interviews

• Speeches

• Newspaper articles

• Conferences

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Fishing vessel safety

Emergency preparedness on ferries

Passenger trains colliding with vehicles

Operation of longer,heavier trains

Risk of collisions on runways

Controlled flight into terrain

Landing accidents and runway overruns

Safety Management Systems

Data recorders

Watchlist

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The Watchlist – One Year Later

• Extensive media coverage

• Meetings with industry

• Transport Canada has undertaken to give these issues the “highest priority”

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Where are we now?

RATINGSGreen Fully SatisfactoryDark Blue Satisfactory IntentLight Blue Satisfactory in PartRed Unsatisfactory

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What are the Prioritiesfor First Responders?

• What are you getting into?

• Protection of people

• Protection of property / environment

• Prevent loss of clues / evidence

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Preparedness in the Arctic

• Operation Nanook

• SAR response needs to be timely.

• Pleasure craft Qasaoq sinking in 1994

The half-submerged Qasaoq as found by Search and Rescue

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Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs)

• In many air accidents, the ELT wasn’t working properly, was damaged in the crash, or the antenna adapter was severed.

New models are now available with internal antennas.

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Programmable Dongle Issues

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Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs)

• Problems with distress identification and confirmation.

Canadian Beacon Registry was amended.

• Also, some vessels were not required to be equipped with EPIRBs before 2002.

Small commercial vessels are now required to carry an EPIRB.

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SAR Issues / ChallengesRadio Communications (Air)

Derailment of work train

• Robinson R44 crash near Grande Cache, Alberta

- lack of common radio communications frequency between SAR ground and air crews

Some operators have started installing

SAR-IF capability, but work is still ongoing.

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SAR Issues / ChallengesCommon Radio Frequencies (Marine)

Derailment of work trainMiss Gatineau

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Summary

• Spoke about:

– TSB– Safety Issues Watchlist– Challenges and Issues Facing TSB and SAR

• Arctic• Various Modes of Transportation

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QUESTIONS?

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