The flight crew’s desire to beat out another aircraft to the destination led to an unstable approach and a landing above Vref in a quartering tailwind that exceeded their Gulfstream G150’s limitations, resulting in a runway overrun, according to an NTSB final report. The two pilots and three passengers were not injured in the May 5, 2021, accident at Ridgeland Claude Dean Airport (K3J1) in South Carolina. An observer at the airport caught the landing on video.

When the twinjet touched down—some 1,000 to 1,200 feet down the 4,200-foot runway—the ground spoilers did not deploy. The airplane came to rest about 400 feet past the departure end of the runway in marshy terrain, substantially damaging the fuselage and wings.

While en route, the CVR recorded a passenger asking about the ETA and the PIC replied, “I’ll speed up. I’ll go real fast here.” He estimated that another jet on the frequency would arrive at K3J1 two minutes sooner than they would. “They’ll slow to 250 [knots] below [10,000 feet] and we won’t,” said the PIC. “We’re trying to win a race. This is Nascar.” The SIC responded, “That’s right,” after which laughter can be heard.

During the descent, the CVR recorded the overspeed warning tone multiple times. A controller informed the other airplane inbound to K3J1 that it would be second in line for landing, and the PIC expressed excitement.

Improper preflight inspections have contributed to several aviation incidents and accidents. The omission of a critical task, such as removing a protective pitot probe cover or engine inlet cover can have serious consequences, including death.

Examining events where an error occurs during a preflight inspection reveals that pilots of aircraft, both large and small, and of various skill and experience levels have all made these mistakes. Often these errors or omissions are the result of distractions, less-than-perfect memories, a bias, or inattention.

On Aug. 8, 2008, an MD Helicopter 369D (Hughes 500D) crashed near Alice Arm, British Columbia, killing one pilot and three passengers. It was the first flight of the day. Before the crash, the helicopter departed in a shallow left-climbing turn, emitted an “unusual sound,” banked 90 degrees to the right, and fell to the ground from a height of 150 feet. Upon ground impact, all four occupants were killed, and the helicopter slid into the Kitsault River.

According to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) accident report, the pilot had a lot of experience—nearly 11,000 flight hours over a career that spanned 38 years. Likewise, he was properly certified, qualified, and well-rested. But the accident was caused by a “doghouse cover” over the engine intake and around the main rotor control system that wasn't removed before flight.

The FAA is considering revising its definitions of on-demand operation, supplemental operation, and scheduled operation as it jumps into the roiling debate surrounding the use of Department of Transportation (DOT) Part 380 public charter economic authority. Releasing a draft notice of intent (NOI) yesterday, the FAA said it is planning a rulemaking to address “the exception from FAA’s domestic, flag, and supplemental operations regulations for public charter operators.” Such a rulemaking, the agency added, would move some operators under Part 135 to Part 121.

DOT Part 380 operations may be conducted under Part 135 safety regulations as long as they involve 30 or fewer passenger seats. However, the FAA is concerned that “the size, scope, frequency, and complexity of charter operations conducted as ‘on-demand’ operations under the Part 135 operating rules has grown significantly over the past 10 years.” The agency said that it "is considering whether a regulatory change might be appropriate to ensure the management of the level of safety necessary for those operations.”

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) called the NOI a “significant step in the right direction," and ALPA president Jason Ambrosi added, “Some airlines use the public charter loophole to cut costs by skirting lifesaving safety rules.” 

However, business aviation groups say this is a competitive argument under the cloak of a safety issue.

Jet Center Santa Fe, one of two aircraft service providers at New Mexico’s Santa Fe Regional Airport (KSAF), has completed construction of a $2.8 million terminal. The company began operations at KSAF in 2015 from a 1,800-sq-ft, city-owned facility, which was retained and gutted and now houses the service provider’s line staff, a catering kitchen, and offices for company administration and tenants.

Its new 6,200-sq-ft terminal—which took 10 months to build and is decorated in a modern Southwest theme—features a lobby furnished in wood with exposed beams and a stone fireplace that extends from the floor to the 18-foot-high ceiling. The building's large windows overlooking the ramp provide ample natural light and offer vistas of the Jemez Mountains.

Amenities include a six-seat conference room, refreshment bar, pilot lounge with snooze room, concierge, and rampside vehicle access.

The Avfuel-branded FBO has more than 50,000 sq ft of heated hangar space capable of sheltering the latest ultra-long-range business jets and 10 acres of ramp parking. An FAA Part 145 repair station is also on site.

The FBO earned the highest score worldwide in the line-service category of this year’s AIN FBO Survey, tallying a 4.91 rating out of a possible 5.

Daher’s Kodiak 100 utility airplane was designed for ruggedness and backcountry flying. To demonstrate its capabilities, the airframer partnered with the Backcountry Aviation Defibrillator Project to deliver lifesaving devices to four remote airstrips in Idaho, where the aircraft is built.

The goal of the project is to position automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in high-traffic, remote airfields. Equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities, those AEDs will be able to broadcast their availability through flight planning applications.

Daher provided a pair of Kodiaks along with pilots, fuel, and logistical assistance to deliver four Zoll 3 defibrillators—one of which it sponsored­—to Cavanaugh Bay Airport (K66S) in northern Idaho, to Big Creek (KU60) and Johnson Creek (K3U2) airports in the central part of the state, and to Smiley Creek Airport (KU87) in south-central Idaho. These missions showcased the single-engine turboprop’s short-takeoff-and-landing capabilities at the four unpaved fields.

“At Daher, our philosophy is: 'We support those who care for aviation,' and the Backcountry Aviation Defibrillator Project flights are a continuation of this commitment,” said Nicolas Chabbert, senior v-p of Daher’s aircraft division and CEO of Kodiak Aircraft.

Chabbert, who piloted one of the AED delivery flights, noted that the company has also recently used one of its Kodiaks to transport U.S. Forest Service personnel and equipment to two isolated grass strips in southeastern Idaho’s mountains.

AIN Media Group is restructuring the leadership of its award-winning editorial team to deliver even more comprehensive and cutting-edge content to our global aviation industry audience and support the business as it scales for growth. Editor-in-chief Matt Thurber will increasingly focus on outreach to the industry, visiting companies, reviewing aircraft and other key products, and delivering expert articles to share this information with our global readers and across all our brands.

To ensure the smooth operation of our news team, Charlie Alcock, currently AIN Media Group’s international and FutureFlight editor, has been appointed managing editor, coordinating all aspects of our editorial operations worldwide.

Commenting on these changes, AIN Media Group president Ruben Kempeneer stated, “Matt and Charlie are both highly experienced aviation journalists and global leaders in their respective fields who have served AIN in multiple roles over several decades. As a fast-growing, global business, AIN is excited to refresh their leadership roles and continue our mission of delivering critical news and information to anyone involved with business aviation or who attends the conventions and airshows where we publish.”