A Deeper Look into Part 135 Cargo Ops Accidents

The NTSB aviation accident database counts 439 total Part 135 accidents in the U.S. between January 2013 and December 2022. Excluding those in Alaska, where the lack of a statewide road system results in an outsized dependence on small commuters and air taxis, that leaves 278 accidents to analyze. Of those, 62 accidents, or 22 percent, involved cargo operators.

Overall in the Lower 48, 18 cargo pilots died (plus one passenger on a non-revenue flight) and four suffered serious injuries on the job. In two Part 91 accidents that involved training or positioning, an additional three pilots were killed. The company with the most accidents is Ameriflight, with eight, followed by Martinaire Aviation, with six crashes.

BJT: Embraer Legacy 450 Review

Sixteen years ago, Brazilian airframer Embraer announced its intention to jump headfirst into the midsize-cabin corporate jet market with the Legacy 450 and slightly larger and longer-range Legacy 500. The bold move came a mere four years after the company entered the entry-level/light-jet category with its Phenom series.

The Phenom 300 light jet quickly became the bestseller in its class, stoking hopes that the 450 and 500 would repeat this success. Initially, it was not to be, with sales of both models starting out slow.

From the Archives: Legacy 600 Passenger Recalls Midair Collision

I am unceasingly aware that my astonishing luck to be alive today coincided with the horrible fate of 154 people who plunged to their deaths on September 29. That was when the seven people aboard a new Embraer Legacy 600, me among them, inexplicably survived a midair collision with a Gol Airlines Boeing 737-800 at 37,000 feet above the Amazon rainforest.

I was on assignment from AIN sister magazine Business Jet Traveler when I arrived at Embraer headquarters in São Jose dos Campos, Brazil, on the morning of September 27 for a tour of its manufacturing facilities and interviews with executives. It so happened that ExcelAire, a Long Island, New York air charter company, was taking delivery of its first Legacy 600 at Embraer on September 29 and I was invited to ride home on the delivery flight to experience the twinjet on a long-haul trip.

BJT: What You Should Know about Public Charter

If you live in one of the many places in the U.S. that are not well-served by the airlines, so-called “public charter” may be an essential mode of transportation for you. Public charter is a well-established, if somewhat esoteric, program introduced over 45 years ago by the predecessor of the Department of Transportation in Part 380 of the U.S. Aeronautics and Space regulations. Surprisingly, however, the program has experienced unusual challenges lately.

Public charter provides access to flights on a per-seat basis rather than requiring passengers to charter an entire jet. By providing air transportation to remote communities and other places with little or no airline service, public charter not only serves business and recreational needs—it is also available for medical and other emergencies.

Building a Diverse Workforce—the Seeds of Change

Aviation has long ranked among the bottom of industries in terms of diversity. Over the past several decades, several groups have formed to help reverse this course, but the numbers have remained stubbornly lopsided.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women represented just 9.2 percent of the total employed pilots and flight engineers in 2022. 2.6 percent were Black, 1.6 percent were Asian, and 9.7 percent were Hispanic or Latino.

FutureFlight: Archer Plans eVTOL Services in India

Archer Aviation has signaled its intent to introduce its Midnight eVTOL to international markets with the announcement of its second deal with a foreign operator on Thursday. The California-based aircraft developer has signed a memorandum of understanding with New Delhi-based InterGlobe Enterprises to jointly launch and operate eVTOL air taxi services in India as soon as 2026.

InterGlobe is the holding company for India's largest airline, IndiGo, as well as various other businesses in the aviation, logistics, travel commerce, and hospitality sectors. The company will work together with Archer and some as-yet-unnamed “select in-country business partners” to finance and build vertiport infrastructure, train pilots and other personnel, and operate an air taxi service in India.

Dassault Steadily Increasing Service Capabilities

Like many OEMs, Dassault Aviation has been steadily increasing its global service network, and the company gave AIN a brief update on its recent progress at NBAA-BACE. In May, the manufacturer opened a new major service center under its ExecuJet MRO brand at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW), capable of accommodating up to 15 aircraft.

“For us, it's important because it is a place where we will do new aircraft deliveries,” explained Jean Kayanakis, the airframer’s senior v-p for worldwide customer service and service centers. “One of the first [Falcon] 6X operators will be based in the region.”