Closed ATM View - ATSB-AO-2014-190
Services for recovery of flight recorders from aircraft submerged near Norfolk Island.
The ATSB requires a Contractor to supply commercial services in order to recover of the Flight Recorders from a submerged Westwind 1124A aircraft that ditched off the coast of Norfolk Island on 18 November 2009. An ROV survey of the wreckage was conducted over the period 27-31 March 2015, which confirmed the location and disposition of the main wreckage fragments.
The wreckage fragments lie on a sandy ocean floor approximately 4km due west of Norfolk Island. The aircraft has remained largely intact since the initial accident with the wings / tail section separated from the passenger compartment. The Flight Recorders are located in the wings / tail fragment of the wreckage. The passenger compartment is located underneath the left wing. It is likely that both main sections are no longer physically connected by any flight control or electrical cables, although this was not confirmed for certain during the ROV survey. The dry weight of the wings / tail section was calculated to be around 5 tonnes. Sand has accumulated around a portion of the rear most section of the aircraft tail.
The ATSB anticipates that a recovery operation of this nature may involve the use of any or all of the following:
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Vessel
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Lifting Equipment
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Divers
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ROVs
While the ATSB anticipates that any or all of the above assets may form part of a proposed method for recovery, the ATSB invites Tenderers to propose methods for retrieval that are effective and efficient, representing value for money. It is not necessary that a method include a particular asset if it is not necessary to achieve the recovery objective.
Once the flight recorders are removed from the aircraft wreckage, the wreckage must be left substantially unchanged in its current location.
As per section 2.1 of the Request For Tender
Before the end of September 2015
Austender at www.tenders.gov.au, in accordance with instructions in Request documentation.