All Ops & safety articles – Page 81
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NewsPD-14 engine for MC-21 passes landmark volcanic ash exposure test
Russia’s United Engine has conducted volcanic ash ingestion tests of the Aviadvigatel PD-14 powerplant for the Irkut MC-21-310. State technology firm Rostec says the tests – using ash from the Shiveluch volcano in eastern Kamchatka – are the first to have been carried out for a Russian-built engine. Testing of ...
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NewsBlue Panorama faced suspension procedure over financial difficulties
Italian carrier Blue Panorama’s suspension of commercial services follows measures initiated by the country’s civil aviation authority over financial issues. Civil aviation regulator ENAC states that Blue Panorama has notified the authority of its decision to suspend commercial activity from 28 October. ENAC reveals it had commenced procedures on 22 ...
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NewsUnions claim leisure carrier Blue Panorama services suspended
Italian transport unions are claiming that leisure carrier Blue Panorama has suspended operations, adding to a list of airline casualties in the country. Blue Panorama has a fleet which includes Airbus A330s and Boeing 737-800s, according to Cirium data. The carrier has had a turbulent history, having been resurrected in ...
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NewsFinal assembly beckons for prototype tri-blade wing-tip
Developers of a new wing-tip intended to cut fuel consumption are preparing for final assembly of the first example, with flight tests set to take place using an Airbus A330. The individual parts for the first prototype of the tri-blade wing-tip have been produced, says the German-based firm APC. Known ...
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NewsSiberian regional carrier overhauls management after An-28 and L-410 accidents
Russian regional operator Siberian Light Aviation has overhauled its management structure, following two serious accidents, one of them fatal, in the space of two months. SiLA had been operating a PZL-Mielec An-28 on the Kedrovy-Tomsk route on 16 July when the aircraft suffered a dual engine failure, flipping over while ...
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NewsPandemic exposes vulnerability in airspace charges model: Eurocontrol
Pan-European air navigation organisation Eurocontrol believes the pandemic has exposed a vulnerability in airspace charging policies, with the collapse in traffic forcing a rethink of the ‘user pays’ model. Charging policies based on availability of services and traffic forecasts, rather than actual service provision, means airlines “will end up paying ...
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NewsFAA cutting back on ‘delegated’ certification work
The chief of the Federal Aviation Administration has assured lawmakers his office is strengthening aircraft self-certification rules in the wake of legislation stemming from two Boeing 737 Max groundings.
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NewsPA-18 display team's precautions insufficient to avert fatal mid-air collision
Dutch investigators have determined that a Piper PA-18 formation display team was practising a new, but inherently hazardous, manoeuvre with insufficient risk mitigation before the two aircraft fatally collided. The accident occurred at Oudemolen, some 25km south of Rotterdam, on 21 June 2019 as the pilots rehearsed a familiar display ...
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NewsHelicopter operator’s certificate further limited after fatal Mi-8 crash
Russian authorities have imposed further restrictions on the operating certificate of helicopter company Vityaz-Aero in the aftermath of the fatal August crash of a Mil Mi-8T in Kamchatka. Federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia says it is limiting the validity period of the company’s operating certificate to 16 January 2022, as ...
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NewsInvestigators seek to explain why VIP MD-87 failed to stop on Houston runway
US investigators are trying to understand why a lightly-loaded Boeing MD-87 failed to become airborne on a Houston runway, and was unable to stop before overrunning. The privately-operated aircraft came to rest some 500m beyond the far end of runway 36 at Houston Executive airport on 19 October, having crossed ...
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NewsMD-87 crashes during take off from Houston Executive airport
A McDonnell Douglas MD-87 crashed following a runway overrun while attempting to take-off from an executive airport near Houston on 19 October.
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NewsPortuguese investigators: ‘No accident’ certificates undermine air safety
Portuguese air accident investigation authority GPIAAF is objecting to the requirement for pilots to produce a ‘no accident’ certificate while seeking employment at certain airlines, insisting that such documents are detrimental to air safety. GPIAAF says it is among the investigation agencies being approached by a “growing number of pilots” ...
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NewsRussian authorities highlight towing risks to cut incidents of aircraft damage
Russian authorities have flagged the risks of ground towing, pointing out that an average of 15 incidents involving damage to aircraft occur each year in the country. Thirteen aircraft have sustained damage over the first nine months of 2021, says air transport regulator Rosaviatsia, which is highlighting various contributors to ...
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NewsJapan clears ANA to switch pilots between A320s and A380s
Japanese operator All Nippon Airways is introducing mixed-fleet flying between the Airbus A380 and A320 family, enabling crews to switch between long- and short-haul operations. ANA will be the first carrier to bring in the capability between the types, following clearance from the Japanese civil aviation regulator. The carrier has ...
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NewsGo-around inquiries show undetected mode changes remain a crucial issue
French investigation authority BEA stresses that the missed-approach incident involving an Air Algerie Boeing 737-800 at Paris Orly demonstrates the continuing relevance of its earlier analysis of aircraft state awareness – particularly mode changes – during go-arounds. The aircraft deviated from the published missed-approach flightpath after its pilots were startled ...
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NewsEasyJet A321neo flew out-of-balance after passengers seated for A320
UK investigators have revealed that an EasyJet Airbus A321neo operated from Bristol to Edinburgh while outside of its centre-of-gravity envelope, after the aircraft was brought in to replace the smaller A320 originally scheduled for the service. The condition was not detected until the aircraft was boarding at Edinburgh for the ...
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NewsStartle effect and mode changes cited in Air Algerie 737 go-around incident
French investigators believe high workload during an unexpected go-around and the subtle effect of a mode change led an Air Algerie Boeing 737-800 to descend while the crew was attempting to climb. The aircraft, arriving from Tlemcen on 6 December 2019, had been conducting an ILS approach to Paris Orly’s ...
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NewsEtihad 787-10 crew mis-set altimeter pressure before Abu Dhabi low approach
Investigators have determined that the crew of an Etihad Airways Boeing 787-10 did not set the correct destination pressure reference for the altimeter before the twinjet dipped far below the glideslope on approach to Abu Dhabi. The passenger aircraft (A6-BMD) had been conducting a freight flight from Beijing on 6 ...
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NewsXwing sees route to autonomous cargo operations within two years
US technology start-up Xwing is hopeful that cargo operations using its autonomous flight technology could begin within two years after sealing key airframe and systems partnerships that will help to accelerate the pace of development.
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NewsOverweight An-12 had insufficient fuel to divert before Lviv approach crash
Ukrainian investigators believe crew fatigue led to an Antonov An-12BK cargo transport’s descending below the glidepath in dense fog on approach to Lviv, and colliding with trees substantially short of the threshold for runway 31. But the inquiry into the fatal accident, on 4 October 2019, also estimates that the ...