Aeronautical Study of Port Macquarie - Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Office of Airspace Regulation Page 40 of 69
An examination of the 12 airspace/aerodrome type incidents suggests a number of
recurring themes, or possible contributory factors, such as:
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frequency congestion on the CTAF,
the need for active listening on the CTAF,
the need for vigilant visual look out,
the need to understand the AFRU response,
reliance on TCAS,
inaccurate and inadequate communications by pilots.
It is suggested that many of the issues above are generic in nature to operations in
non-controlled airspace and the only location specific issues at PMQ are:
the lack of a taxiway to RWY 03/21, causing additional runway occupancy time
and subsequent circuit area problems;
the occasional simultaneous use of several intersecting runways (03/21 and
grass 10/28); and
frequency congestion on the CTAF 118.1.
The incident data, and the anecdotal evidence from pilots, also suggests that the
majority of conflict pairs occur either in the circuit area; joining the circuit; or by
aircraft over flying or in the vicinity of the aerodrome. There is little evidence from the
incident records to date that there is a problem occurring in the volume of airspace
further out from the circuit area.
7.4 Aerodrome operator records
The PMQ airport operator’s internal safety records support the ATSB data as most of
the occurrences detailed were reported by pilots to the ATSB and an ASIR was filed.
However there were three events during 2007 and 2008 listed in the operator’s
records that do not seem (or require) to have a matching ASIR report:
11/8/2007. Parachutists failed to comply with dropping procedures when PT
aircraft movements in progress,
18/6/2008. A Eurobat was on base when a turbo prop established on final
requested by radio to land in front. The turbo prop performed a missed
approach passing over the top of the Eurobat on the runway,
26/8/2008. Go around. A Metro called 20 NM final for a straight in approach.
A Cessna 150 made a short approach in front of the Metro and occupied the
runway (causing a go-around).
Airspace Review of Port Macquarie (YPMQ) May 2010 Version 1.0