All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 212
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NewsMis-set altitude led Neos 737 to descend unnoticed during go-around
Investigators have found that a Neos Boeing 737-800 continued to descend, unnoticed by the crew, during an aborted landing at Bristol, after a rushed approach meant the go-around altitude was not correctly set. It dipped below 460ft as it travelled over runway 27, with its landing-gear retracted, before the pilots ...
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NewsMC-21 flight-testing resumes as Irkut adapts to new practices
Flight-testing of the Irkut MC-21 has resumed at Moscow’s Gromov institute after a temporary interruption to enable compliance with new requirements to counter the coronavirus outbreak. United Aircraft states that it is trying to “minimise the impact” of the situation on the twinjet’s test and certification programme. It says it ...
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NewsEU shaping guidelines to restore air travel: transport commissioner
European transport commissioner Adina Valean has signalled that guidelines will be set out by mid-May regarding an exit strategy to restart cross-border operations including air travel, but stresses that the timing depends on the health situation. While speaking on 22 April, she was reluctant to pre-empt the finalisation of specific ...
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NewsSouth African government presses unions for concessions to rebuild SAA
South Africa’s government is pressing unions to avert a collapse of South African Airways and ensure that the business rescue strategy results in the emergence of a more competitive carrier. It has asked unions to submit proposals on restructuring the carrier and, in particular, details on the future of jobs. ...
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NewsAirbus develops anti-spill cover to protect A350 centre pedestal
Airbus has developed a removable cover for A350 integrated control panels, designed to protect vital systems from inadvertent liquid spills in the cockpit, after two incidents which preceded uncommanded engine shutdown. The cover – which protects engine master levers, thumbwheels and rotary knobs – needs to be removed during critical ...
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NewsAirbus tests resin-transfer for A320neo spoiler production
Airbus partner Spirit AeroSystems has started manufacturing resin-transfer moulded spoilers for the A320neo family, applying the process for the first time to high-volume large aircraft structural components. Resin-transfer moulding involves clamping dry fibres in a mould before injecting resin, a process which results in a consistently accurate product, the airframer ...
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NewsBiocide overdose blunder suspected in A321 dual-engine incident
UK investigators probing a serious dual engine problem on a departing Airbus A321 have discovered its fuel system had previously been overdosed with biocide, after a maintenance engineer misunderstood a measurement term. The engineer was confused by the term ‘ppm’ – meaning ‘parts per million’ – while conducting a biocidal ...
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NewsAustrian to halve 767 fleet and remove all A319s
Lufthansa Group carrier Austrian Airlines is to halve its Boeing 767 fleet and withdraw all seven of its Airbus A319s as part of a strategy to adjust to reduced demand in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Austrian had already been planning to remove 18 Bombardier Q400 turboprops by 2021, ...
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NewsA321XLR metal-cut commences as structures supplier list firms up
Airbus has cut the first metal for the initial A321XLR and completed selection of suppliers for the long-range aircraft’s key components. The A321XLR, an evolution of the A321neo, was unveiled at the Paris air show last year and is intended to operate across a range up to 4,700nm. Airbus has ...
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NewsAirbus engages ‘remote delivery’ initiative to transfer aircraft to customers
Airbus has started capitalising on communications technology and amended logistical procedures to enable delivery of aircraft remotely, allowing it to continue handing over jets to customers despite the restrictive measures imposed by the coronavirus crisis. Turkish budget carrier Pegasus Airlines has received three Airbus A320neo-family jets through the remote process ...
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Wizz Air qualifies for UK coronavirus fund support
Central European budget carrier Wizz Air has obtained confirmation that it can take advantage of the UK government’s support scheme for companies affected by the coronavirus crisis. Wizz Air says it has been assured it is an “eligible issuer” under the Covid Corporate Financing Facility. The airline has not specified ...
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NewsEl Al in talks for bank loan backed by government
El Al has entered discussions with an Israeli bank for a loan which would be partly backed by a state guarantee, in an effort to prop up its financial position. The Israeli flag-carrier had previously sought an assistance package from the ministry of finance but was turned down. While El ...
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NewsRussian titanium giant cuts output as aircraft demand sinks
Falling demand for new aircraft has prompted the major Russian metals producer VSMPO-Avisma to cut the quantity of titanium output by about a third this year. The company is a key supplier to the aerospace industry – including Boeing and Airbus – providing the materials for such assemblies as landing-gear, ...
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NewsUnited sells 22 jets for leaseback including 787s
United Airlines is selling six Boeing 787-9s and 16 737 Max jets in a leaseback deal with the US division of Singaporean lessor BOC Aviation. BOC Aviation has disclosed the details of the transaction to the Hong Kong stock exchange. It states that the transaction covering the 22 aircraft is ...
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NewsEmirates A380 dipped below 400ft as crew mistakenly chased glideslope
Investigators have determined that an Emirates Airbus A380 descended far below the glideslope at Moscow Domodedovo after its crew entered a rapid descent, erroneously believing the jet was too high for the correct approach path. It descended to 504ft above ground – with a rate of descent of 1,600ft/min – ...
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NewsBoeing crews warned of misleading pitch guidance from glideslope disruption
Operators of various Boeing aircraft types including the 787 and 777 are being warned of misleading pitch guidance during glideslope interference on ILS approaches. The US FAA is cautioning pilots over the use of autopilot flight-director systems for the twinjets – as well as the 747-400, 747-8, 757 and 767 ...
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NewsIcelandair plans new share issue to prop up financial position
Icelandair Group is preparing to issue new shares to shore up its liquidity and strengthen its financial position during the coronavirus-driven downturn. The company has yet to disclose the size of the share issue planned. But it says the intention of the offer is to ensure its “long-term competitiveness” after ...
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NewsEasyJet argues case against cancelling Airbus deal
UK budget carrier EasyJet is arguing that it cannot terminate its contentious Airbus order by falling back on the argument that the coronavirus outbreak is a situation beyond its control. The airline has been under fire from its founder, and key shareholder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou over the cost of retaining the ...
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NewsCollision averted by ‘luck’ as departing Embraer steered round CRJ700
Investigators have disclosed that a departing Embraer ERJ-145 crew steered the aircraft at 100kt around another jet which had inadvertently entered the runway during the ERJ’s take-off roll. The incident occurred at Chicago O’Hare, in darkness but with good visibility, as the Envoy Air ERJ was accelerating along runway 28R. ...
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NewsProsecutor to consider case against Superjet crash captain
Russia’s prosecutor general is to consider the case of an Aeroflot captain indicted over last year’s fatal Sukhoi Superjet 100 landing accident at Moscow Sheremetyevo. The federal Investigative Committee says it has completed its criminal probe into the 5 May 2019 accident during which the aircraft returned to the airport ...