All Ops & safety articles – Page 37
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NewsAir Moldova quarrels with civil aviation regulator over safety inspections
Air Moldova has clashed with the country’s civil aviation regulator in an extraordinary spat over the results of inspections at the airline. The Moldovan civil aviation authority has declared that, during unannounced inspections, it found “serious deficiencies” in the airline’s finances which could potentially interfere with air safety and the ...
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NewsTwin Otter force-landed in swamp after crews failed to notice insufficient fuel
Lack of checklist discipline left the pilots of a De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter unware that the aircraft was carrying insufficient fuel, before it carried out a forced landing in a swamp while diverting.
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NewsA220 autopilot directive followed ‘nearly catastrophic’ take-off incidents: FAA
US regulators have disclosed that two “nearly catastrophic” events were among 38 take-off incidents involving inadvertent Airbus A220 autopilot engagement, and are taking additional action to prevent a recurrence. Transport Canada has already mandated aircraft flight manual changes to emphasise the risk of unintentionally activating the autopilot during the take-off ...
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NewsNew FAA pilot-training guidelines seek to address manual flying deficiency
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued wide-ranging recommendations aimed at ensuring airline pilots are properly trained to effectively manage highly-automated modern aircraft, without relying too much on technology.
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In depthArcher’s Maker paves the way for production air taxi Midnight
As Archer Aviation’s first prototype “Maker” plies the pattern at Salinas Municipal airport, its successor “Midnight” waits for prime time in a hangar in Palo Alto.
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NewsSeating crash-test centre to be established in Northern Ireland
UK-based specialist Thompson Aero Seating is to establish a full-scale crash-test facility for aircraft passenger seats in Northern Ireland. The company aims to complete the dynamic test facility – fitted with a reverse accelerator sled able to generate 100g forces – in spring next year, and commence testing in the ...
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NewsFAA finalises rudder protection rule stemming from 2001 American Airlines A300 crash
The Federal Aviation Administration has finalised a rudder-related rule stemming from the 2001 crash of an American Airlines Airbus A300 after take off from New York.
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NewsCockpit representatives bristle over police detention of Lima collision pilots
Representatives of the LATAM Airbus A320neo crew involved in the fatal runway collision at Lima Jorge Chavez airport have disclosed that the two pilots were taken into police custody following the accident. The Sindicato de Pilotos de LAN Peru states that the two were detained while the preliminary investigation into ...
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NewsLima firefighting exercise ‘agreed and co-ordinated’ before A320neo runway collision
Lima Jorge Chavez airport’s operator states that a firefighting exercise had been co-ordinated with the control tower before a fatal collision between an emergency vehicle and a LATAM Airbus A320neo. The exercise on 18 November had been intended to confirm that firefighting personnel at the airport could reach the scene ...
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NewsLATAM Airlines Airbus A320neo catches fire on runway in Lima
A LATAM Airlines Group Airbus A320neo struck a vehicle as the aircraft attempted to take off in the Peruvian capital Lima, and caught fire.
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NewsA220 pilots warned of premature rotation risk if autopilot inadvertently engaged
Airbus A220 operators have been ordered to alert pilots to the possibility of premature rotation on take-off as a result of inadvertent autopilot engagement. The warning is contained in an emergency directive from Transport Canada, which states that “several” events have occurred in which crews have accidentally activated the autopilot ...
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NewsWindshear in frame after Jubba Fokker 50 landing accident
Investigators have indicated that windshear contributed to the landing accident involving a Jubba Airways Fokker 50 turboprop in Somalia earlier this year. The Kenyan-registered aircraft (5Y-JXN) had been conducting a domestic service to Mogadishu from Baidoa on 18 July. During the final approach to runway 05, the aircraft experienced windshear ...
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NewsThree men guilty of murdering 298 people aboard flight MH17, court finds
A Dutch court has delivered guilty verdicts against three men for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board the Boeing 777.
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NewsAirbus Helicopters chided for icing risk assumptions on H145
Norwegian investigators have criticised Airbus Helicopters for assumptions made during certification testing of its H145 that left examples fitted with an inlet barrier filter vulnerable to engine failure due to ice ingestion.
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NewsNewquay launch facility secures UK’s first spaceport licence
UK aviation regulators have issued the country’s first spaceport licence, granting it to Spaceport Cornwall, located near the south-western town of Newquay. Spaceport Cornwall aims to use Newquay airport’s runway and other facilities to carry out horizontal satellite launches using modified carriers such as Virgin Orbit’s Boeing 747-400. This aircraft ...
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NewsInternational carriers warn new 5G altimeter requirements could prevent US flights next year
Non-US airlines are struggling to complete radio altimeter retrofits ahead of looming deadlines established to prevent 5G interference, meaning some carriers’ flights to the USA could be restricted in 2023.
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NewsEASA details plans to target post-crash fuel fires in helicopter fleet
European regulators have outlined proposals to close a legislative loophole that has left thousands of helicopters operating that are equipped with fuel systems that do not meet the latest crashworthiness standards.
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NewsAirbus and Qatar joust over regulatory cosiness as trial schedule is left in doubt
Airbus has expressed doubt that a trial to resolve its legal scrap with Qatar Airways over A350 fuselage-skin paint degradation will take place on time in June next year, accusing the airline of shortcomings in the disclosure process. The two sides clashed in court on 11 November during a case-management ...
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NewsLink Saab 340 cabin penetrated by propeller strap on departure
Australian investigators are probing an incident in which a Saab 340B’s fuselage was penetrated during a domestic flight, injuring a passenger. The aircraft involved (VH-VEQ) was operated by Link Airways on behalf of Virgin Australia. It departed Canberra for Sydney on 10 November, but the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says ...
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NewsSriwijaya crash: Complacency and bias contributed to pilots’ failing to see throttle split
Indonesian investigators believe complacency over automation, as well as confirmation bias, contributed to a Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500’s crew’s failing to notice a split between the throttle levers. The split throttles generated increasingly asymmetric thrust, as the left engine reduced power while the right engine did not, causing the aircraft ...