Justen Spinks, the chief pilot for Wholesale Electric Supply’s flight department, apprehended a teen gunman last Tuesday at the Signature Aviation hangar at Arkansas’ Texarkana Regional Airport (KTXK). It was 7:30 a.m. and Spinks had just learned that the day’s scheduled flight in the company’s Cessna Citation XLS+, which is based at KTXK, had been canceled when he heard "a lot of commotion,” he told AIN in an exclusive interview.

As he got up from his desk to see what was going on, several of the FBO workers ran into the hangar offices and told him there was a gunman in the terminal. Just moments earlier a teenager carrying an assault rifle entered the FBO, placed a handgun on the counter, and informed the customer service agent (CSR) on duty that he wanted an airplane. The CSR managed to get away and alerted the police as the gunman forced open a door to the ramp and exited the building.

“I keep a pistol in my truck and was I able to see [the gunman] while standing behind my truck and I could see that I could make my way back into the hangar,” Spinks said. Gun in hand, he crept back into the hangar and “walked toward him as briskly as I could and he complied.” Spinks kept the teenager detained until police arrived.

A March 2023 helicopter crash resulted from low-altitude maneuvering, according to an NTSB final report issued this week. The Bell 407, registered as N14Z, crashed near Nuevo, California, resulting in the deaths of both the pilot and an airplane-pilot-rated passenger. The helicopter, which was operating under Part 91 rules, was destroyed after striking terrain near the peak of a rocky hilltop.

The NTSB determined the probable cause to be the pilot’s decision to maneuver at a low altitude in a steep bank, which resulted in the failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. No evidence of mechanical failure contributing to the crash was found during the investigation.

A GoPro camera mounted on the aircraft’s right skid recorded the entire nine-minute flight and crash. A second GoPro camera found in the debris had stopped recording before takeoff, according to the NTSB.

The helicopter departed French Valley Airport in Murrieta/Temecula, California, at 12:05 p.m. PDT on March 24 in VMC and headed toward Big Bear, California. It flew at an altitude of approximately 500 to 600 feet agl during the flight, according to ADS-B data. Recovered video from the camera showed the rotorcraft making two low-level passes at 50 to 60 feet agl over rugged terrain before the crash. The pilot initiated a steep right turn at low altitude and the main rotor blade struck the terrain, causing the crash.

Nav Canada will finalize the decommissioning of its telephone service for ATIS voice broadcasts by the end of next month. The country’s provider of civil air navigation services has been upgrading its infrastructure to allow access to ATIS information through the NC-Aero View website. This data will include sites that had not previously offered phone-based access.

Transitioning to text-based ATIS began in March 2024 and is expected to be largely complete by year-end. By next month, the last of the necessary updates will be finalized, with Nav Canada ending support for legacy technology. All ATIS telephone lines, including the 1-877-YVR-ATIS number, will be decommissioned by the telecom provider on March 19.

ATIS information began to populate on the web page last year. The shift from the voice-based system was reflected in updates to aeronautical publications on October 31 with the removal of telephone numbers previously used to access ATIS. This move is part of a broader initiative to modernize how ATIS information is delivered to aviation users and will enhance access to important flight-related data through more efficient digital means.

Airbus has acknowledged that its plans to bring hydrogen-powered airliners into commercial service will not be achieved by the 2035 target date set when the company announced the ZeroE project in September 2020. On Friday, the European aerospace group confirmed that the work is taking longer than expected but did not specify an adjusted timeline.

According to reports by French news agency AFP, Airbus told officials at the Force Ouvrière trade union that the objective could take five to 10 years longer than first anticipated. The union also claimed that the ZeroE research and development budget has been cut by 25%, bringing into question whether plans to fly a hydrogen technology demonstrator engine on an A380 testbed will be achieved, as previously announced.

However, Airbus has denied suggestions that it may be deprioritizing hydrogen propulsion as part of its wider decarbonization strategy for air transport. A spokesperson told reporters that the group remains committed to the goal “of bringing a commercially-viable, hydrogen-powered aircraft to market.”

The shift in Airbus’ anticipated timeline for enabling a move towards hydrogen is rooted in acceptance of the challenges that go beyond the core task of integrating propulsion technology with new aircraft designs. “We recognize that developing a hydrogen ecosystem, including infrastructure, production, distribution, and the regulatory frameworks, is a huge challenge requiring global collaboration and investment,” the company said.

The pilot of a drone that collided with a firefighting aircraft on the third day of the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles has agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unsafe drone operation, federal officials announced late last month. Peter Tripp Akemann’s drone hit and damaged a water-dropping Canadian Super Scooper aircraft, Quebec 1. The firefighting aircraft was grounded on January 9 after managing to land safely, according to an FAA statement.

According to authorities, Akemann launched the drone from a Santa Monica parking structure on January 9, flying it more than 1.5 miles toward the Palisades Fire before losing visual contact. The drone then collided with Quebec 1, which was carrying two firefighters. StandardAero's Van Nuys service center and structures team repaired the airplane—a Quebec Ministry of Transport-owned Bombardier CL-415 Super Scooper—and had it back in service on January 19.

Attorney Glen Jonas, who is representing Akemann, said he is “deeply remorseful for his mistake” and “takes full responsibility for his serious lapse in judgment.” Akemann faces a potential one-year prison sentence, with the final decision resting with the judge, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. Under the plea agreement, Akemann must complete 150 hours of wildfire-related community service and pay $65,000 in restitution for the aircraft's damage, McNally stated.

EASA has published the 2025 edition of its European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS), providing updated priorities for national regulators and the industry. The document highlights eight new safety issues and six new rulemaking tasks (RMTs) covering topics such as ground handling, security, and VTOL aircraft.

For instance, under the systemic safety and resilience section of the updated EPAS, the new RMT.0753 is intended to ensure effective implementation of regulations addressing the risks posed to aviation safety by cyberattacks. In the rotorcraft section, there is a new task focused on verifying the integrity of parts relating to helicopter rotor and transmission failures. EASA is also stepping up efforts to support implementation of new European aviation safety regulations covering ground handling at airports.

The rules are set to be published in the next few months, with a transition period covering several years. The agency is already preparing to conduct mock audits to assess how enforcement will work.

In the fourth quarter, EASA will launch a fresh consultation over possible changes to regulations covering aircraft equipment requirements related to airspace use. The latest EPAS does not elaborate on the scope of the consultation, which is expected to support decision-making in 2028, beyond saying that it is intended to address “identified inconsistencies.”

Comply365, a software provider for aviation, space, rail, and defense, is acquiring safety and compliance management systems provider Aviation Safety & Quality Solutions (ASQS). Anticipated to close in the second quarter of the year, the acquisition will integrate ASQS’ iQSMS safety management software with Comply365’s existing safety management product, SafetyNet.

In 2023, Wheels Up partnered with Comply365 for document distribution. The company provides services to global aviation brands, including Aer Lingus, Metrojet in Hong Kong, Airnorth in Australia, and Western Global Airlines.

“We are delighted to welcome the ASQS team into the Comply365 family,” said Comply365 CEO Ilia Kostov. “They bring a wealth of talent, specialized knowledge, and complementary product strengths to our organization. This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to invest in safety management, which is central to our mission of delivering an integrated offering across operational content, safety, and training management.”

The acquisition is supported by Comply365’s investors, with Henry Frankievich from Insight Partners noting, “The acquisition of ASQS will enhance Comply365’s position as a key player in the global safety management space.”

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