Russian authorities are investigating the crash of an Embraer Legacy 600 yesterday that reportedly killed Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin and six of his close associates, as well as three flight crewmembers. Airspace tracking service Flightradar24 said the aircraft made a “dramatic” descent nine minutes after leveling off at 28,000 feet, having departed Moskva-Sheremetyevo Airport (UUEE) just after 6 p.m. local time to fly to Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (ULLI).

A report by Flightradar24 indicates the aircraft descended by more than 8,000 feet in around 30 seconds. The company said it used multilateration data to track the aircraft because GNSS jamming in the area appears to have affected its ADS-B system.

Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, confirmed the Legacy 600 was registered under the tail number RA-02795 to MNT Aero, a leasing group that appears to have been operating it for the Wagner group.

The crash occurred exactly two months after the mercenary leader led a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership over their conduct of the war in Ukraine. Prgozhin’s widely reported confrontations with Russian President Putin have prompted observers to question whether the country’s accident investigators will be able to provide an objective and transparent explanation for the fatal accident.

The FAA’s newly published Safety Alert for Pilots (SAFO) 23005 is directed at those who use controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) to ensure that all parts of a clearance are appropriately loaded into the flight management system before departing. It also helps to ensure that the proper clearance is followed.

The document reminds operators that certain clearances require the flight crew to manually input standard instrument departures (SIDs) into the FMS each time a revised UM79 partial reroute message is received (cleared to XXX waypoint via other waypoints en route). In some instances, pilots have misinterpreted UM79 to mean they were cleared to fly directly to the waypoint. A direct clearance would be a UM74 message.

According to the alert, 20 recorded aircraft deviations at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport (KTEB) in 2022 have drawn attention to potential CPDLC and UM79 issues. In these incidents, aircraft departed TEB and flew directly into the arrival corridor of Newark Airport (KEWR). Controllers had to “quickly identify and coordinate” with New York and Newark controllers to issue a turn to avoid traffic. “The FAA determined that the probable cause of these events was due to the SID clearance not being manually reloaded in the FMS after receiving a UM79,” the FAA said.

The Independent Falcon Aircraft Operators Association (IFAOA) is planning its second annual meeting on September 26 and 27 in Dallas. This event follows the inaugural meeting last year that drew more than 70 owners, operators, and flight department members representing more than 60 aircraft.

IFAOA launched the program to provide technical content, create opportunities for social networking, and build a community for Falcon operators. Kicking off with a reception and dinner at the Frontiers of Flight Museum on September 26, this year’s program will cover market evaluation, cabin and flight deck upgrades, connectivity, and engine and airframe maintenance.

“It was an honor to welcome owners, operators, directors of operations, directors of maintenance, pilots, and technicians for discussion and fellowship last year. It was a really engaging event,” said group organizer Sean Lynch. “We expect the great discussions to continue this year.”

IFAOA membership has now grown to more than 140 operating Falcon 10s, 20s, 50s, 900s, 2000s, and a 7X, the organization said, noting members appreciated having an independent organization to discuss some of the issues surrounding aircraft ownership.

“Costs associated with owning, operating, and maintaining these aircraft have been growing more rapidly in the last few years, and there isn’t enough being done to bring in more competition in the aftermarket, especially on the legacy Falcons,” said Brandon Luthens with Club Jet. 

The FAA has scheduled runway safety meetings at some 90 airports through the end of next month to review potential issues and discuss mitigations. Held in concert with the Runway Safety Action Team, these annual meetings serve as a key forum for pinpointing and addressing issues in the runway environment.

However, the meetings this year are taking on heightened visibility and perhaps more urgency after a series of close calls in the runway environment that have captured the attention of regulators, Congress, and the media.

“Sharing information is critical to improving safety,” said Tim Arel, COO of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “These meetings, along with other efforts, will help us achieve our goal of zero close calls.”

The agency in February issued a safety call to action after a series of incidents, including runway incursions, and in March hosted a safety summit to delve into possible initiatives to address safety concerns. Among the results from the summit was a commitment from the FAA and the aviation community to pursue a goal of zero serious close calls, the agency said, adding that “the same approach virtually eliminated the risk of fatalities aboard U.S. commercial airlines.”

Representatives from the FAA’s air traffic organization, airlines, pilots, airport vehicle drivers, and others will participate in the meetings.

Stack.aero has integrated its Business Operations System (BOS) with Adobe Acrobat Sign, a cloud-based e-signature service that allows users to send, sign, track, and manage electronic signature processes, the business operations systems company said Thursday.

Stack.aero's BOS manages the entire air charter “trip request lifecycle”—the end-to-end process that begins with initial client contact and extends through aircraft sourcing, quoting, contracting, trip management, and financial reconciliation.

Acrobat Sign integration allows charter brokers to secure a trip in under a minute, according to Stack.aero. Similarly, charter passengers can receive a secure web link to a contract they might sign from almost any device, including a smartphone.

Further benefits of the Acrobat Sign integration include real-time visibility into when a contract gets viewed, signed, and countersigned; automatic archiving of contracts in the Stack.aero BOS digital “trip filing cabinet;” ability to send contracts for signature without exiting the Stack.aero interface; and the sending of contracts directly in PDF format for improved security.

“The Acrobat Sign integration elevates the customer experience by offering accelerated digital convenience,” said Stack.aero CEO Greg Jarret. “This is an unprecedented capability that streamlines the entire contracting process for charter brokers and their passengers—benefiting both parties. Furthermore, by making it easier for charter brokers to sell trips, we are directly contributing to their profitability.”

To reduce the threat of runway incursions, the FAA has disbursed more than $121 million in airport improvement funds for projects at eight airports. Of the eight recipients, the largest award went to Boston Logan International (KBOS), which received $44.9 million to remove part of Taxiways Q and F in line with the airport’s runway incursion mitigation plan and to rehabilitate Runway 15R/33L along with Taxiways T, N, and M.

The second-largest grant went to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (PANC) in Alaska, which received $39.8 million for a variety of taxiway improvements, including new lighting systems.

Willow Run Airport (KYIP) in Detroit got $12.8 million to construct a 6,720-foot parallel taxiway to avoid having aircraft back-taxi on the runway. Meanwhile, Virginia's Richmond International Airport (KRIC) will use its $5.6 million award to shift its taxiway to comply with FAA design standards.

At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), $5 million in grants will go toward the construction of new connector taxiways to Runways 1/19 and 15/33, as well as the reconfiguration of Taxiways J, K, L, N, N1, and S to meet FAA standards.

Ohio's Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport (KTOL), Florida’s Naples Airport (KAPF), and Wyoming's Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC) also each received between $2.6 million and $4.6 million to complete their own respective taxiway and airport surface projects.