Australian officials are investigating ten cases of transponder failure in light aircraft since new airspace regulations went into effect Nov. 27. Transponders are fundamental to maintaining separation under the new rules, which rely less on controller guidance and more on pilots to see and avoid each other. Richard Dudley, a spokesman for Airservices Australia, the government-owned air traffic management company, said some of the transponders were broken but others were switched off or set incorrectly. Critics of the new airspace regs were quick with the I-told-you-so’s. “The system is relying on airborne collision avoidance systems functioning 100 percent of the time,” said Barry Sargeant, former deputy director of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. “That type of defense should be the last resort, [but] it has become a primary tool in avoiding other aircraft.” There have been reports of near-collisions in Melbourne and Launceston in recent weeks, further fueling fears by some the system is less safe, but government officials maintain that it is.
Transponder Problems Fuel Safety Fears
Key Takeaways:
- Ten transponder failures in Australian light aircraft have been reported since new airspace regulations took effect on November 27.
- The new regulations rely more on pilots' see-and-avoid capabilities and less on air traffic controller guidance, making transponders crucial.
- Some transponder failures were due to malfunction, while others resulted from being switched off or improperly set.
- Concerns have been raised about the safety of the new system following near-miss incidents and the reliance on perfect transponder functionality.
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