Close calls

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is a government body that regulates Australian aviation safety. We license pilots, register aircraft and oversee safety.

Follow the podcast:

63 clip(s) in playlist

Long day's journey into night VFR
Circumstances, contingencies and pressure from a passenger push an otherwise conscientious low-hours pilot towards a dangerous decision.
07:32
Make yourself heard
06:51
The silence over Kingaroy
What you can't hear can still hurt you, as this pilot was shocked to discover, despite due diligence. Only the 'mk1 eyeball' saved the day. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2026/07/the-silence-over-kingaroy/.
07:37
Mix up in the salad bowl
Unchallenged assumptions about controlled airspace procedures put this pilot in a potentially very dangerous situation. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2026/05/mix-up-in-the-salad-bowl/
05:06
Perfectly gauged response
A newly minted pilot faces their first in-flight emergency, with the added complication of it happening in tightly controlled airspace. Spoiler: it ended well. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2026/04/perfectly-gauged-response/.
05:20
Don't stop now
We've all had them: those flights that challenge the plan from the moment the wheels leave the ground. That's when distraction and frustration open the door for error. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2025/12/dont-stop-now/.
07:45
Tanks for nothing
The fundamentals of flight planning do not change, as this classic close call from 2008 demonstrates. A first flight in a new type was a fuel management challenge a young pilot nearly failed. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2026/01/tanks-for-nothing/.
07:19
Fast-thinking fledgling
The textbook reactions of a low-hours pilot facing a deteriorating situation show how ab initio training works – if you listen and take its messages seriously. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2025/11/fast-thinking-fledging/.
04:55
Blundering through the authority gap
Almost too late, a young pilot learns the importance of assertiveness as part of flight control. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2025/10/blundering-through-the-authority-gap/
07:14
Reality under pressure
An insidious and subtle failure almost bring's a young commercial pilot's career to a premature end. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2025/08/reality-under-pressure/.
05:22