"An Emerging Pattern Of Incompetence"

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, or CASA, has come under fire from the government's opposition party for its handling of an airline accident last year.

The Federal Opposition says it wants a Senate inquiry into why TransAir is still flying, even though CASA revoked its air carrier certificate two weeks ago.

Fifteen people were killed when a TransAir Metroliner III crashed into Queensland's Lockhart River in May 2005. It was Australia's worst air disaster in 40 years.

Senator Kerry O'Brien, who is the transport spokesman for the Labor Party, says "there is an emerging pattern of incompetence on the part of CASA."

"We've had one attempt to get an inquiry into CASA, which the Government blocked, although some Government Senators said they were considering supporting our motion," said O'Brien to ABC News. "So the test now is are they as good as their word?"

O'Brien planned to launch a formal Senate inquiry Monday.

"The reality is they should have had concerns about TransAir some time ago," he added. "If the regulator, who's just been given additional power by the Commonwealth in relation to monitoring air space, can't competently deal with its role in relation to one operator, what does it say about its capacity to do all the other things it has to deal with?"

FMI: www.casa.gov.au