NewsCommander Crashed Inverted In New Haven The Rockwell Turbo Commander 690B that crashed into two houses in New Haven, Conn., on Friday was inverted when it hit the homes, the NTSB says. But spokesman Patrick Murray told Reuters the pilot, retired Microsoft vice president Bill Henningsgaard, did not make any distress calls as he turned the aircraft to land in rainy weather at Tweed-New Haven Airport. "There is no evidence right now that the pilot was in distress during his last conversation with the control tower and it appears he was turning to try and land when the tower lost contact with him," Murray said. Authorities have now confirmed that four people died in the crash.
LinkRockwell to buy Arinc for nearly $1.4b Avionics specialist Rockwell Collins is to buy aeronautical communications company Arinc for $1.39 billion from investor The Carlyle Group. Rockwell Collins describes the acquisition as “a natural fit” and says the transaction, once complete, will mean commercial activity will account for 54% of its business with government operations making up the balance. The two sides have reached a “definitive agreement” regarding the purchase. Rockwell Collins says it will combine Arinc’s networks and services with its own avionics and cabin technology systems, and that it will “expand our opportunities beyond the aircraft.”
LinkBritish Airways Flight Had To Turn Back TwiceBritish Airways has promised to compensate passengers who were on a plane that had to turn back twice to Riyadh airport, according to reports. The Boeing 747 had to make two emergency landings at the Saudi airport after the plane turned back with problems with the wing flaps. The problem occurred on Wednesday and then again on Thursday after the plane had received repairs but encountered the same problem. A passenger, Sean Casey told the BBC that paramedics were brought on board the plane to treat people after the second emergency landing.
LinkGunmen Abduct Two Turkish Air Pilots In BeirutTwo Turkish Airlines pilots were abducted in Lebanon on Friday by armed men who forced them from a bus driving from Beirut airport in the early hours of the morning. The Turkish foreign ministry and the airline said they were in close contact with the Lebanese authorities but had no immediate information on who was behind the abductions or on the condition of the two airline staff. Turkey, hoping to cement its role as a power in the Middle East, has supported rebels battling to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and may have influence over fighters who captured Lebanese Shi'ites close to the Turkish border in northern Syria last year.
LinkAegean Offers Concessions On Olympic DealAegean Airlines has offered new concessions to gain EU antitrust approval for its second attempt to take over rival Olympic Air, indicating an earlier offer had failed to ease competition concerns over the deal. Faced with declining traffic in its domestic market due to the country's prolonged recession, loss-making Aegean has said the proposed EUR€72 million (USD$96.38 million) acquisition was crucial for its survival.
LinkJetcraft acquires ExecuJet to become largest aircraft brokerage Raleigh, North Carolina-based Jetcraft will become the largest private aircraft broker after acquiring Zurich-based ExecuJet Aircraft Trading. The sale means ExecuJet Aviation Group is exiting the aircraft sales business and focusing on a portfolio of services including aircraft management, charters, fixed-base operations, maintenance and completions consulting. Jetcraft, meanwhile, adds six new brokers and sales offices in Dallas, Johannesburg, London and Paris, says president Chad Anderson.
LinkPlane Bursts Into Flames At Mogadishu AirportAn Ethiopian military aircraft carrying ammunition crash-landed at Mogadishu's main airport on Friday, bursting into flames and killing four of the six crew members. The Soviet-made Antonov 24 plane got into trouble in the air and then missed the runway, crashing into the ground shortly after 0400 GMT and setting off the ammunition. Ethiopian troops are supporting Somalia's fight against al Qaeda-linked militants in the Horn of Africa country, although they are not part of an African Union (AU) peacekeeping force. There was no immediate comment from Ethiopia's foreign ministry. "We can hear explosions as it burns. It is burning like hell," said one security source at the airport. After the fire was put out, only a blackened shell of the plane remained.
LinkAsiana Posts Q2 Loss, Crash Dims OutlookAsiana Airlines on Friday reported a deeper operating loss after North Korean tensions hurt travel demand, with further weakness seen in the current quarter following the July plane crash in San Francisco. The accident, in which three were killed and over 180 injured when an Asiana flight from Seoul crash-landed at the airport in San Francisco, has hurt the reputation of Asiana. The airline had been trying to clean up a tarnished safety record that included two other fatal crashes in its 25-year history. Uncertainty looms over the results of ongoing investigations by US and Korean authorities over the accident and how the accident will affect travel demand in the current quarter, analysts say.
LinkBoeing Named In Asiana Suits A total of nine passengers aboard Asiana Flight 214 that crash-landed in San Francisco on July 6 are suing the airline for damages, but they're also going after Boeing, claiming the company sells aircraft with different classes of safety. As expected, the suit says Asiana's crew was negligent when the Boeing 777 they were flying got 30 knots slow on final approach and undershot the runway by more than 1,000 yards, slamming tail-first into a seawall before spinning laterally almost 360 degrees and sliding to a stop about even to where it should have touched down.
LinkRussia flies trainer-variant Mi-28UB Russia’s Rostvertol has performed the first flight of a dedicated trainer version of the Mil Mi-28 attack helicopter, with the UB-model aircraft to be exhibited for the first time in the static display at this month’s MAKS Moscow air show. Flown at the company’s Rostov-on-Don site on 9 August, the new development features “a dual control system that can be used in Mi-28NE pilot training, while at the same time retaining all the functionality of an attack helicopter,” says Russian Helicopters.
LinkBalloonist Killed In Festival Accident Canadian police aren't saying exactly how a young hot air balloon pilot died at a major balloon festival south of Montreal on Sunday but he wasn't in his own balloon. The QMI Agency is reporting that 26-year-old Maxime Trepanier had already landed and was helping another crew land their balloon when he was somehow launched into the air and then fell to his death.
LinkTransport Canada, Safety Board Divided On Post-Crash Fires Public comments from each agency suggest that Canada's Transportation Safety Board and Transport Canada may be divided regarding how each would prefer to address the issue of post-crash fires, and those differences have sparked some finger pointing. The Safety Board recently released a report probing an October 2011 crash in which the two pilots of a Beechcraft King Air 100 suffered fatal burns. In that report, the safety board suggested the pilots might have survived the crash had regulators (Transport Canada) not ignored recommendations to reduce the probability of post-crash fires.
LinkUnited Airlines CEO calls for better airline policy United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek said the U.S. government should establish a national airline policy that is more supportive of airlines and recognizes the value and jobs the industry drives. "In the U.S., theoretically having been deregulated, we’re heavily regulated. I don’t mean safety regulations, which are very important," he said. "Twenty percent of your airfare in the U.S. is taxes. We’re not even permitted to disclose the taxes because the government, I think, is ashamed of the level and amount of regulation."
LinkAlaska Airlines to install power plugs at Boeing 737 seats Alaska Airlines announced plans to install power plugs on every seat aboard several versions of its Boeing 737 aircraft. The carrier also is deciding on a vendor to provide streaming in-flight movies, television shows and other content. "We are considering an enhanced inflight entertainment system that will allow customers to watch movies, television shows and other programming streamed to any Wi-Fi-enabled device," said Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Marianne Lindsey.
LinkBoeing monitors Dreamliner 787s from Wash. control center Boeing is monitoring its fleet of Dreamliner 787s from its 787 Operations Control Center in Everett, Wash. While monitoring an airplane while in flight is standard practice, the level of complexity and amount of data being reviewed is more extensive than ever before. Boeing can track data in real time, which is particularly important when a new aircraft type goes into service. "Boeing created the aircraft, they designed it [and] they know it from the inside out, so it helps to have both of us monitoring it at the same time," said United Airlines spokeswoman Christen David.
LinkBoeing facility in Texas celebrates 15 years Boeing celebrated the 15th year of operations for its overhaul and maintenance facility in San Antonio, Texas. The site has serviced 1,200 aircraft since it opened, according to Boeing officials. The facility employs 1,600 people, and also donates to several local charities.
LinkFAA issues restrictions for runway at Charlotte airport The Federal Aviation Administration has instituted restrictions on one of the four runways at Charlotte Douglas International Airport because of "safety concerns" over converging flight paths. "CLT is monitoring the impacts of this operational change and is investigating options for addressing this change," airport officials said in a statement.
LinkLawmakers request more noise monitors at New York airports New York lawmakers have sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey about increasing the number of noise monitors at the state's airports. "The bottom line is that we need more monitors so we can collect the best data and assess impacts and make decisions based on the best information," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., in a statement.
LinkNew York commends airports for accurate luggage scales New York City inspected all luggage scales at LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports, and found 96% of the scales to be accurate. The city's Department of Consumer Affairs conducted the investigation over a three-day period, and commended the airports for their high compliance rate.
LinkSelf-service will be next trend for in-flight shopping, expert says Brett Proud, CEO of in-flight transaction specialist GuestLogix, predicts travelers will be able to purchase duty-free items through self-service in the future. "The trend is definitely moving towards passenger self-service onboard, be it buying through a seatback screen or via the passenger's own device," he said.
LinkSurf Air offers all-you-can-fly aviation in Calif. In the 1960s, if you wanted to fly privately, you need to buy your own airplane. Richard Santulli changed all that in the mid 1980s when he pioneered fractional ownership and founded NetJets. “Why buy a whole aircraft when you only need one part of the time,” he reasoned. In fact, what buyers truly wanted was not the plane as much as the invaluable advantages an airplane could provide. NetJets made those benefits accessible, affordable, and available anywhere in the nation wherever you happened to be.
LinkNew York Power Authority is criticized for spending money on a private plane The New York Power Authority was criticized by the state comptroller's office for charging some of the highest electricity rates in the nation, while it spends money on a private plane. NYPA says the small aircraft is used by engineers and operating personnel to maintain the state's power plants, 14 substations and 1,400 circuit miles of transmission lines.
LinkPilatus forms joint venture with Chinese company Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., aims to boost its expansion into the Chinese market by partnering with Beijing Tian Xing Jian Yu Science Co. "We believe that a partnership with a local sales partner is the key to success [in China]," said Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher.
LinkLatin American is expected to see long-range bizjet growth In its 20-year forecast released in June, Bombardier said it expects to see growth in key markets such as Brazil for long-range business jets. Dassault Falcon President and CEO John Rosanvallon also expressed optimism about Latin American markets and Brazil-based Embraer has also been expanding service throughout the region.
LinkBrazil approves first bizav airport The first private business aviation airport in Brazil received government approval July 25. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed a decree permitting the construction of privately-operated airports months earlier. Aeródromo Privado Rodoanel is being constructed in São Paulo, not far from the city's business district and is expected to accommodate up to 600 aircraft.
LinkHelicopter industry is poised to boom in China The Chinese military has complete control over the country's airspace, but plans to open up airspace to 4,000 meters are included in China's current five-year plan. The low ceiling and lack of air strips mean that China is poised to become the world's largest helicopter market.
LinkFAA certifies UAVs for commercial use The Federal Aviation Administration certified two unmanned aerial vehicles, the ScanEagle and Puma, for commercial use last month. "This is a huge step forward and this is a big deal for our industry," said Ben Gielow, government relations manager for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
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