All Ops & safety articles
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NewsCircumstances of Swiftair 737 crash appear to parallel previous anti-ice switch errors
While Lithuanian investigators have yet to reach conclusions on last November’s fatal Boeing 737-400 freighter crash near Vilnius, they are likely to consider a possible switch mix-up that has previously occurred on other 737 flights. Preliminary indications point to the Swiftair jet’s losing height and descending beneath the glideslope after ...
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NewsNTSB fears emergency slide problem may be widespread on 737s and 757s
US investigators are urging the Federal Aviation Administration to require airlines to inspect Boeing 737 and 757 cabin door hardware after finding that many 757s contain hardware that fails to meet federal regulations.
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NewsEmerald ATR 72 nose-wheel loss inquiry points to improper maintenance
UK investigators believe bearing overheat led to a nose-wheel being shed from an ATR 72-500 on departure from Edinburgh in October 2023, but the reason behind the failure could not be determined. The Emerald Airlines aircraft – with 55 passengers and a crew of four – continued to Belfast City, ...
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NewsUK government pledges £20 million to spur eVTOL and UAV industries
The UK government has confirmed over £20 million in funding as part of a push to pave the way for electric air taxi use from 2028.
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NewsResearchers use video simulations to show ‘visceral experience’ of exposure to rotorcraft downwash
UK researchers believe they have discovered a “powerful new approach” to demonstrate safety risks posed by hovering helicopters or other vertical take-off vehicles by using video simulations to “capture the true physical form” of the gusting and swirling winds generated.
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NewsSwiftair 737 crash probe finds flaps remained retracted after hydraulic system turned off
Lithuanian investigators have disclosed that the flaps of a Boeing 737-400 freighter remained retracted during its final approach to Vilnius, before the jet sank below the glideslope and crashed short of the runway.
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NewsSenator Cruz suggests US Army is hiding ADS-B policies following midair collision
US Senator Ted Cruz has torn into the US Army, suggesting the service is hiding policies related to the use of ADS-B on its helicopters and warning that another mid-air collision caused by one of its rotorcraft could amount to “murder”.
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NewsHeathrow chief Woldbye defends decision to close airport during power outage
London Heathrow airport chief Thomas Woldbye has defended the decision to close the hub after it suffered a substantial loss electrical power on 21 March. Woldbye, who was appointed to the post in 2023, testified before a UK parliamentary transport committee on 2 April. “When we cannot safely operate the ...
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NewsAlaskan C-54 in-flight explosion traced to engine power loss and poorly-repaired fuel tank
US investigators believe loss of power in the outboard left-hand engine of a Douglas C-54, and the subsequent feathering of its propeller, initiated a chain reaction of events including a fuel explosion and fatal loss of control. The inquiry into the accident, which occurred in Alaska on 23 April last ...
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NewsSenators say US Army has obstructed investigation into deadly 29 January midair collision
The heads of the Senate transportation committee are railing against the US Department of Defense (DoD) for failing to turn over a document outlining US Army policies related to the use of ADS-B, an aircraft tracking system.
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NewsUN Dash 8-400 lands with retracted nose-gear at Mogadishu
Somalian authorities state that no injuries have resulted from an incident in which a De Havilland Dash 8-400 landed with its nose-gear retracted at Mogadishu.
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NewsAirbus UpNext readies A350 for Optimate flight tests
Airbus UpNext, the airframer’s innovation arm, is gearing up for flight tests early next year of an A350-1000 fitted with advanced automation systems developed through its Optimate project.
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NewsAeroflot Superjet accident probe asks United Aircraft to consider design modifications
United Aircraft has emphasised that the inquiry into a bounced landing, leading to a fatal fire which destroyed an Aeroflot Superjet 100, has found no faults with the aircraft design.
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NewsAeroflot Superjet fatal fire inquiry highlights aisle jam as passengers retrieved luggage
Russian investigators believe passengers’ attempts to retrieve luggage during a fatal Aeroflot Superjet 100 fire probably slowed evacuation, and was a contributor to the severity of the outcome. Forty passengers and one flight attendant did not survive the fire, which ignited as fuel spilled from ruptured fuel tanks during a ...
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NewsAeroflot and regulator dispute inquiry findings over Superjet's fatal bounced landing
Both Aeroflot and Russian civil air transport regulator Rosaviatsia have dissented over investigators’ conclusions regarding the fatal hard landing and fire which destroyed a Superjet 100 nearly six years ago. Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee says the Aeroflot crew had “insufficient knowledge and skills” to control the jet in direct law, ...
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NewsPassengers suffered fractures during 757’s ‘abrupt’ response to conflict alert
US investigators have determined that two passengers on board a United Boeing 757-200 suffered bone fractures after the crew responded to a conflict alert with an ”abrupt” pitch input. Two cabin crew also received minor injuries during the incident, says the National Transportation Safety Board. The aircraft had been operating ...
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NewsAirbus brings contrails down to ground level through new study
Airbus is taking a down-to-earth approach for its latest study into aviation’s non-CO2 impacts, unveiling plans to replicate the conditions found at cruise altitudes and generate contrails at ground level. Running until June 2028, the EU-funded project, called PACIFIC, sees Airbus head a consortium that includes engine supplier Rolls-Royce, German ...
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NewsLondon Gatwick implementing time-based separation on single mixed-mode runway
UK air navigation service NATS has applied its intelligent arrival separation system to a mixed-mode single runway for the first time, with implementation at London Gatwick. The system uses dynamic time-based – rather than distance-based – approach spacing in order to maintain sufficient arrival rates in strong headwind conditions. Headwinds ...
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NewsSwiftair 737 crash: Prosecutor seeks to question pilot as inquiry points to hydraulic issue
Lithuanian prosecutors are seeking to question the pilot of a Boeing 737-400 freighter which crashed on approach to Vilnius last year, after preliminary findings indicated that a hydraulic issue preceded the fatal accident. The Swiftair aircraft came down short of runway 19 while inbound from Leipzig on 25 November. Lithuania’s ...
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NewsCharter tour Mi-8 fatally collided with mountain ridge as crew descended in poor visibility
Russian investigators have found that a Mil Mi-8T helicopter captain’s decision to descend in limited visibility, while operating in mountainous terrain, led to a fatal collision with a ridge, with no survivors from among the 22 occupants. The Vityaz Aero helicopter (RA-25656) had lifted off from the vicinity of the ...
