Mabuiag Island councillor calls for immediate change of flight rules lest more lives be lost
A frustrated Far North politician said he’ll be hunting down bureaucrats within the nation’s aviation regulator if they ‘drag their feet’ on flight rule changes after a respected Cairns woman was lost in Torres Strait waters.
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Australia’s aviation authority says it will allow flights to return to two remote islands in Far North Queensland if it is satisfied “operations are safe” after a Cairns woman was flipped from a tinnie and lost at sea.
A decision by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in November 2022 stopped flights into Mabuiag Island and forced residents and fifo workers to use small boats on notoriously rough waters.
Skytrans pilots had used the islands’ runways without incident for two decades.
Revered Cairns speech pathologist Wendy Richardson attempted the crossing to Mabuiag Island from nearby Badu Island on Thursday, June 8, but her boat capsized and she was lost in rough seas.
The CASA policy enforcement prevented aircraft such as Skytrans’ Cessna C208 Caravans from using the runways unless payload weight was cut or the runways were extended.
On Wednesday the Cairns Post launched its Rally for Runways campaign, calling for CASA to urgently review the rules.
Keith Fell, Mabuiag Island councillor at Torres Strait Island Regional Council, said the decision “should have been made yesterday”.
“People on the island are just hanging out for it,” Mr Fell said.
“People have got no choice now but to go by boat. They can’t afford charters or choppers.
“The wind out there is blowing 20 to 25 knots. Waves are up to 2m in the wash.
“There have been so many close calls out there.
“We had a vigil yesterday to pay our respects to (Ms Richardson’s) family. It’s so sad hat’s happened and it’s totally avoidable.
“How many more people are going to die before we get something done?”
Skytrans conducted safety flight demonstrations to Mabuiag without incident three days after Ms Richardson disappeared.
It also conducted tests at Erub Island on Tuesday.
Skytrans CEO Alan Milne said flight data had been sent to CASA and the airline was awaiting a decision.
A CASA spokeswoman said it had received Skytrans’ flight data from the Mabuiag test.
“(On Thursday) they provided us with preliminary data. We expect them to conclude test flights and provide their final data in the coming week,” the spokeswoman said.
“This will give us detailed information on whether they can reliably operate safely on these runways with these new controls in place.
“We’ll work with them on the safety analysis, comparing real-life data with manufacturer data and safety standards, and we will do the same when data for other islands is available.
“If we can be satisfied that the operations are safe, we will approve a departure from the normal rules.
“But if we can’t be sure it’s safe, we may require that different aircraft are used in the absence of access to a longer runway.”
Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch has called for CASA to immediately change its policy.
“The policy never should have been implemented in the first place. It was sheer bloody stupidity,” Mr Entsch said.
“They were warned there would be consequences to their decision. Unfortunately, their tardiness has cost a life.
“CASA wanted to add a safety buffer, but their decision put residents into far more dangerous circumstances. Far more lives have been lost on the water in the past.
“There have been many lives saved because of the Skytrans service.
“CASA, you’ve got a job to do, do it quickly.”
The CASA spokeswoman said the entity had acknowledged the community’s frustration.
“But we don’t cut corners when it comes to passenger safety,” she said.
“Mabuiag and Darnley Islands have short runways that don’t meet safety standards for commercial passenger flights in the types of aircraft Skytrans operate.
“The aircraft meet the minimums required by the manufacturer, but Australia’s safety rules for commercial air transport require longer runways to account for unexpected conditions or pilot skills.
“We acknowledge that Skytrans have had a strong safety record over many years. But they have been operating to manufacturer minimums, and not to Australia’s airline safety standards.
“We are working with Skytrans to see if flights can resume by ensuring safety requirements are met in a different way.
“We are determined to find a practical solution, but we need to be sure that we aren’t putting passengers at risk.”
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Originally published as Mabuiag Island councillor calls for immediate change of flight rules lest more lives be lost
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