Former Qantas Chief Pilot Joins Australian Transport Safety Bureau
ATSB continues to lead the underwater search for the Malaysian Airlines MH 370 jetliner that vanished one year ago.
Chris Manning, who has served as chief pilot and group general manager of flight operations for Qantas, joined the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on March 9 to begin a three-year term on ATSB's commission, which is comparable to the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States. Manning is the fourth member of the commission.
Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan welcomed the appointee, saying, "I and the other commissioners look forward to working closely with Mr. Manning. His experience, particularly in the aviation business, will add considerably to the overall body of knowledge held by the commission."
ATSB has about 110 staffers, including approximately 60 aviation, marine, and rail safety investigators. Most are based in Canberra, with others in field offices are located in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.
ATSB is leading the underwater search in the southern Indian Ocean for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The Boeing 777-200ER aircraft disappeared from air traffic control radar on March 8, 2014, after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on a scheduled flight to Beijing, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board. Analysis of satellite data showed the aircraft continued to fly for more than six hours after contact was lost, and all available data indicate it entered the sea close to a long, narrow arc of the southern Indian Ocean.