ATSB highlights aerial firefighting safety risks in Australia

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released a summary of interviews conducted with fire agencies and aerial firefighting operators as part of an ongoing safety study into Australia’s expanding aerial firefighting sector.

The report draws on interviews with representatives from 11 fire agencies across all Australian states and territories, along with nine aerial firefighting operators. According to ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell, the study aims to examine the increasingly complex risk environment facing aerial firefighting operations.

“Aerial assets are playing a growing and increasingly important role in fire prevention and control in Australia,” he said. “It is therefore important we understand the risk controls in place and consider how effective these controls can be as the airspace above firegrounds gets busier, and the size and variety of aircraft increases.”

The interviews identified 18 key safety themes, including differing perceptions between agencies and operators regarding safety culture and operational pressures. Mitchell noted some participants believed agencies could improve “a just, learning, reporting, informed, and flexible culture”.

The report also highlighted calls for greater standardization of policies and procedures across jurisdictions, particularly in aircraft coordination, communications, training, and risk monitoring.

Several themes additionally focused on accountability and risk management, including concerns over pressure to fly, high risk tolerance and the normalization of risk.