Mr McClelland asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Development, upon notice, on 24 September 1997:

Further to the answer to question No. 652 (Hansard , 4 February 1997, page 99) concerning breaches of safety procedures or near collisions at airport runway intersections at Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport and other airports throughout Australia, will he update his answer for the period 10 September 1996 to 30 June 1997.

Mr Vaile (Transport and Regional Development) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

During the period 10 September 1996 to 30 June 1997 a total of two (2) occurrences were reported to the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) involving a breach of safety procedures at runway intersections at Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport. During that same period, the number of reported occurrences involving a breach of safety procedures at runway intersections at other airports throughout Australia were as follows: one (1) at Mackay Airport; two (2) at Perth Airport; and one (1) at Rockhampton Airport.

A synopsis of each of these occurrences is set out below.

Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport

(a) Two fire tenders responding to a fire call, crossed the active runway without a clearance while a British Aerospace BA31 aircraft was on its take off roll.

(b) A Boeing 747 aircraft landed on runway 16R and vacated via the rapid exit taxiway A3. The aircraft was instructed to cross runway 07 then turn left onto taxiway Golf. The instruction was correctly read back. However, the aircraft was subsequently observed to turn left and enter runway 07. This runway was not active and there was no confliction with other traffic.

Mackay Airport

(c) The pilot of a Piper PA-28R-200 aircraft was instructed to contact Mackay Tower at Playstowe for an inbound clearance. The pilot subsequently requested a landing clearance while 3 miles from the runway and on descent to 1,000 ft. After landing on runway 05, the pilot entered runway 14 without obtaining a clearance.

Perth Airport

(d) A Beech 200 aircraft had completed two touch- and- go landings on runway 03 before the pilot made a full stop landing on runway 11. The landing roll was completed east of runway 03. The pilot was cleared to backtrack on runway 11 and hold short of runway 03.

A Boeing 747 aircraft had been cleared for take off when the Beech aircraft was observed by the tower controller to cross the upwind threshold of runway 03.

The Beech 200 cleared the runway 03 flight strip as the Boeing 747 was approximately 1,000 metres into the take-off roll. The controller assessed there was no risk of a collision and the Boeing 747 was allowed to continue its take off roll.

(e) A Boeing 767 landed on runway 21 as a Boeing 737 was on final approach for landing on runway 24. Visibility from the tower was poor due to low cloud. The Boeing 767 vacated runway 21 and the crew were instructed to hold short of runway 24. However, the crew were unable to comply as the aircraft was already 2 to 3 metres into the runway 24 flight strip. The pilot of the Boeing 737 was instructed to go around.

Rockhampton Airport

(f) A Beech 58, VH-WLC had been cleared to backtrack after landing on runway 15. Another Beech 58, VH-WIM had been cleared to land on runway 22. The aerodrome controller then attempted to confirm with the pilot of VH-WLC that he was holding short of runway 22 as he had not been cleared to cross that runway. This transmission and following transmissions were not answered and VH-WLC crossed the runway without a clearance. The pilot of VH-WIM said he had the other traffic sighted and would accept late landing clearance and he subsequently landed without further incident.