All Ops & safety articles
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NewsCitation CJ1 crew unaware of gradual descent before terrain-avoidance warning
French investigators have disclosed that a Cessna Citation CJ1 started descending in cruise while its pilots believed they were flying level, before reaching such a low height on approach that the crew had to take evasive action. The aircraft, operated by Valljet, had departed Limoges for Paris Le Bourget on ...
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NewsUS FAA orders MD-80 manual revision to include jammed-elevator check
US regulators have ordered a change to Boeing MD-80 flight manuals to include a check that elevators are not jammed in the trailing-edge down position. Operators of the type must revise the manual, within three months, to state that this check must be carried out prior to every flight. “Both ...
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NewsICAO council rules Russia behind Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 shoot-down
The ICAO Council has ruled that Russia is responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.
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NewsTurkish 777 rapidly descended during crew’s aggressive response to turbulence encounter
Investigators have disclosed that a Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER lost nearly 8,000ft in altitude after its crew – surprised by a severe turbulence encounter over Iceland – attempted to recover with aggressive control inputs and poor co-ordination. Both pilots engaged their control columns, opposing one another with rapid and sharp ...
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NewsInquiry stresses motor-skills practice after BA 777 rejected take-off incident
UK investigators have highlighted the value of crews’ practising motor skills after a co-ordination mix-up led a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER pilot to reject take-off after passing the V1 threshold. The aircraft had been accelerating along London Gatwick’s runway 26L on 28 June last year when, upon hearing the automatic ...
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NewsAbsent balance weights spur directive to check 747 elevators
Boeing 747 operators are being instructed to carry out prompt elevator checks after a 747-8 freighter was flown without balance weights after maintenance. The US FAA states that the 747-8F was flown with a right-hand outboard elevator which had been received and installed without the weights. It says that this ...
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NewsIndia retaliates with airspace ban on Pakistani aircraft
Indian civil aviation authorities have closed the country’s airspace to Pakistani-registered aircraft, in a further deterioration of relations between the neighbouring states. The measure appears to be a retaliatory ban after Pakistan implemented a similar restriction on Indian aircraft on 25 April. Tensions between India and Pakistan have risen after ...
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NewsTrump throws momentum behind plan to overhaul US air traffic control systems
Trump say updated ATC systems could prevent accidents like the 29 January midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National airports.
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NewsUS House proposes $15bn in funding to modernise air traffic control
Republican lawmakers have proposed a plan to provide the Federal Aviation Administration with $15 billion to fund air traffic control (ATC) modernisation, a move coming several weeks after US transportation chief Sean Duffy committed to such an effort.
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NewsAlliance ATR 72 sank in heavy rain and hit approach lights before landing short
Indian investigators state that the crew of an ATR 72-600 experienced “unusual” vibrations and felt the aircraft sink on final approach, just before it landed short of the runway at Bhubaneswar last October. The Alliance Air aircraft (VT-RKF) had been inbound from Rourkela, some 240km to the north of Bhubaneswar, ...
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NewsFatal Phenom 300 crash pilot did not de-ice wing before Utah take-off
US investigators believe the pilot of an Embraer Phenom 300 did not de-ice the aircraft before it stalled, rolled to the left, and crashed immediately after lift-off from Provo municipal airport in Utah.
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NewsEASA study shines fresh light on long-running helicopter safety issue
A European study into Vortex Ring State (VRS) – one of the helicopter industry’s most pernicious and persistent safety risks – has concluded there are only minor differences between the effectiveness of two different recovery techniques.
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NewsInquiry highlights training demands for altiport flying after PC-12 accident at Courchevel
French investigators have underlined the importance of rigorous training for operations at altiports – airports in mountainous terrain – after a Pilatus PC-12 collided with the steep runway slope at Courchevel. The airport has been the scene of a number of accidents in recent years, including a similar strike by ...
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NewsThai Airways free to expand US services as FAA upgrades Thailand’s safety status
US regulators have restored Thailand’s Category 1 safety classification, nearly a decade after downgrading its status, enabling the state’s airlines to expand US operations.
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NewsThree Turkish flights inaugurate triple-independent runway operations at Istanbul
Istanbul’s international airport has implemented a triple-independent runway operation, which will increase hourly traffic capacity from 120 to 148 aircraft movements. The airport’s operator, IGA, claims the hub becomes the first airport in Europe to operate such a system. It demonstrated the triple-runway introduction on 17 April with simultaneous departure ...
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NewsDOT to review FAA’s handling of 737 Max smoke issue as Boeing develops software fix
The US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) top inspector is reviewing a controversial Federal Aviation Administration decision related to an engine issue that can cause thick smoke to quickly inundate Boeing 737 Max cockpits and cabins.
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NewsUnreported high-load incident spurs Airbus to warn pilots over rudder use
Airbus has emphasised to pilots that rudder pedals should not be used to counter turbulence- or vortex-induced roll, and to ensure any high-load event is documented and promptly reported. The airframer has highlighted an incident involving an A320 which, during a climb from 30,000ft to 36,000ft, unexpectedly rolled into a ...
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NewsFAA revokes New York Helicopter’s certificate after company fired operations chief
The Federal Aviation Administration has yanked the operating certificate held by New York Helicopter, the firm that operated the Bell 206 L-4 that crashed into the Hudson River on 6 April, killing all six people aboard.
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NewsChinese inquiry confirms ignition of leaking oxygen destroyed Tu-204 freighter
Chinese investigators have found that the fire which destroyed a Tupolev Tu-204C freighter at Hangzhou originated from a crew oxygen system malfunction in the right-hand side of the cockpit, with leaking oxygen and hot components igniting combustible material. The Aviastar-Tu twinjet (RA-64032), with eight occupants, had been departing for a ...
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NewsOperator of Bell 206 that crashed into Hudson River last week stops operating
The company that operated the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter that crashed into Hudson River near New York City on 10 April is ceasing flights.