All Ops & safety articles – Page 20
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News787 approach deviations in Hong Kong linked to autopilot flight-director issues
Hong Kong investigators have found that a software issue in a number of Boeing 787 autopilot flight-director systems led to a series of flightpath deviations in 2019.
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NewsUS NTSB attributes Maui near-crash to ‘miscommunication’ in United cockpit
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has attributed a near-accident off the coast of an Hawaiian island late last year to flightcrew miscommunication.
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NewsUS airlines modify schedules, evacuate people from Hawaii’s Maui as brush fires rage
US airlines have modified their operations and begun evacuating residents and tourists from a Hawaiian island as brush fires there have killed at least three dozen.
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News737 Max awaits engine inlet design fix to avert risk of severe damage from anti-ice
Boeing is undertaking design modification of the 737 Max engine inlet after discovering that use of engine anti-ice in certain operating conditions can result in failure of the inlet’s inner barrel and substantial cowl damage. Operators must revise the aircraft’s flight manual to instruct pilots not to use engine anti-ice ...
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NewsNiger airspace closes as political unrest continues
Authorities in Niger have closed the country’s airspace, as the African state experiences continuing political unrest. The closure has been confirmed in a NOTAM for the Niamey flight information region which took effect on 6 August. It states that the republic’s airspace is “closed for all flights”, from the ground ...
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NewsCatania airport restores fire-hit terminal to operation after three weeks
Sicily’s Catania airport has resumed operations at Terminal A, three weeks after a fire forced its closure and led to substantial disruption to flights. The airport’s operator says the terminal re-opened on 5 August, with the arrival of an EasyJet flight from Milan Malpensa in the late evening marking the ...
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NewsUS FAA urges early adoption of front-row seat safety enhancements
US regulators are urging operators to adopt safer passenger restraints for front-row seats, after research indicated that lap seat-belts alone could result in severe injuries in an emergency landing. Current guidance permits operators to install seats set back from cabin walls and monuments, which allow their occupants to flail forward ...
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NewsUncleared Learjet departed in front of E190 flaring on intersecting runway
US investigators have determined that an executive jet crew commenced take-off without clearance before it passed in front of a JetBlue Embraer 190 that was flaring for touchdown on an intersecting runway. The serious incursion, during the E190’s approach to runway 04R at Boston at night, was captured on video ...
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NewsFirst Russian-built collision-avoidance system to be fitted on Superjet
Russian avionics specialist Navigator is aiming to deliver the country’s first domestically-built collision-avoidance system later this year. Navigator says the system – known as SPSV – has passed the third of four certification stages for aviation equipment under Russian standards. The fourth stage will finalise the process and confirm that ...
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NewsShimmy dampers examined after Red Air MD-82 gear collapse
US investigators have been scrutinising shimmy damper mechanisms from a Red Air Boeing MD-82 which suffered a main landing-gear collapse and runway excursion after touching down at Miami. The aircraft – arriving from Santo Domingo on 21 June last year – touched down on runway 09 but, some 1,300ft into ...
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NewsSafran chief reveals previous CFM engine issue with contaminated powder metal
Safran chief Olivier Andries has disclosed that its CFM International engine venture experienced its own issue with powder metal contamination two years ago. Andries mentioned the situation during a half-year briefing on 27 July, days after rival Pratt & Whitney’s parent company revealed a powder metal contamination problem affecting in-service ...
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NewsITA and MedSky A320 flights mark reinstatement of Italy-Libya air links
Italian and Libyan carriers have conducted services between their countries’ respective capitals, to mark a reinstatement of air links absent for a decade. ITA Airways operated the Rome Fiumicino-Tripoli route with an Airbus A320 on 24 July, while Libya’s MedSky Airways carried out a reciprocal service on the same day, ...
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NewsTurbulence during cruise jolts Jazz Dash 8 pilots from seats
Canadian investigators have disclosed that both pilots of a De Havilland Dash 8-400 were jolted from their seats during a severe turbulence incident en route to Windsor. The incident involved an Air Canada Express service – operated by Jazz, with 50 passengers and four crew members – from Toronto on ...
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NewsHong Kong probes Cathay 777 aborted take-off, landing gear fire
Hong Kong authorities have opened an investigation into an aborted take-off involving a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER, which subsequently led to a fire in the aircraft’s main landing gear.
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NewsRussia arrests intelligence officer convicted in MH17 downing
Igor Girkin, a former military commander convicted of involvement in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17, was arrested in Moscow on 21 July – but not for his role in the deaths of 298 air travelers.
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NewsNigeria’s Max Air and fuel supplier clash over contamination allegations
Nigerian operator Max Air is claiming it was supplied with contaminated fuel before the suspension of its Boeing 737 operations, a claim which fuel provider Octavus is firmly denying. Max Air says it conducted an internal investigation which revealed the carrier was supplied with “adulterated fuel”, prompting an in-house audit. ...
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NewsInfluential US senator proposes adding more requirements to pilot training rule
The US Congress’ tussle over the 1,500h pilot-training rule took an interesting turn on 18 July when a senator proposed requiring that new airline pilots have hundreds of hours in specific aircraft classes and in specific flying conditions.
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NewsCatania airport faces traffic constraints after terminal fire
Operations at Catania airport are likely to be constrained for several days after a fire at Terminal A forced a reduction in services. Terminal A is likely to remain closed for another five days, following the fire on the evening of 16 July, according to Italian civil aviation regulator ENAC. ...
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NewsIATA slams North American air traffic control chaos
The International Air Transport Association has slammed North American aviation regulators for dragging their feet on increasing staffing at air traffic control centres.
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NewsLondon Heathrow to replace and enhance virtual back-up control tower
London Heathrow is to establish a new back-up control tower which will become operational in 2025, and replace an older facility. The airport already has an off-site virtual tower back-up – implemented in 2009 – which serves to recreate the hub’s main control tower, and provide operations up to 70% ...