The alternative method of compliance (AMOC) issued July 10 lifts restrictions of the FAA AD on Textron Aviation Model 525, 525A, and 525B light jets that comply with EASA service bulletin (SB) 1480. That SB incorporates two previously issued Tamarack bulletins (SB1467 and SB1475) addressing the functionality of the Tamarack Active Camber Surface, or TACS, utilized to reduce aerodynamic loading on the winglets.
The AMOC marks a significant step forward for Tamarack following allegations that TACS malfunctions could lead to inflight loss of control. “It's really satisfying to know our product has been validated by the authorities and the solutions we had available prior to the ADs have been accepted as their resolution,” company president Jacob Klinginsmith told AIN.
The comment period on the FAA’s May 25 AD just closed, so the directive itself remains active for now. According to Tamarack, 89 of 91 Atlas-equipped Citations worldwide already fulfill the requirements of SB1480. Klinginsmith noted Tamarack booked three deposits on new Atlas installations while the fleet was grounded, and those installations will begin this month.
G650ER Crew Sets Polar Circumnavigation Speed Record
A Qatar Executive Gulfstream G650ER has broken the polar circumnavigation of the Earth record, accomplishing the flight in 46 hours, 39 minutes, and 38 seconds. Scheduled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission this month, the flight departed NASA’s Cape Canaveral facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Tuesday at 9:32 a.m. EDT—the same time as the moon mission launch a half-century earlier—and landed there this morning at 8:12 a.m. EDT, shaving 5 hours, 51 minutes, and 26 seconds off the speed record set in 2008.
The ultra-long-range twinjet (of which Qatar Executive is the world’s largest operator with six) accomplished the 40,172-km (21,691-nm) mission dubbed “One More Orbit” in four legs: Florida to Astana, Kazakhstan; Astana to Mauritius; Mauritius to Punta Arenas, Chile; and Chile to Florida, refueling at each stop.
“Qatar Executive, together with the One More Orbit team has made history,” said Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker, who was on hand to greet the arriving business jet, noting many people behind the scenes worked tirelessly to make the record attempt a success. “A mission like this takes a huge amount of planning as we need to factor in the flight paths, fuel stops, potential weather conditions and make plans for all possibilities.”
Bombardier Business Aircraft has achieved a milestone by delivering its 300th super-midsize Challenger 350 just five years after its entry into service, the Canadian airframer announced today.
“The delivery of the 300th Challenger 350 business jet in only five years after its entry-into-service represents another exciting milestone for Bombardier and underscores the trust our customers place in this industry-leading aircraft,” said Peter Likoray, Bombardier Business Aircraft senior v-p of worldwide sales and marketing.
Announced at EBACE in May 2013 and certified in June 2014, the Challenger 350 is powered by two Honeywell HTF7350s, each with 7,323 pounds of thrust, has a high-speed cruise of 0.82 Mach, and can fly 3,200 nm with NBAA IFR reserves. Configured for up to 10 passengers, the twinjet has a certified ceiling of 45,000 feet and a mtow of 40,600 pounds.
Recent enhancements include an available compact head-up display (HUD) and enhanced vision system (EVS), cabin sound-proofing technology, and improved cockpit aesthetics. A performance improvement package enables the Challenger 350 to fly up to 1,500 nm out of short runways.
Senate Commerce OKs Dickson Nomination to FAA Helm
The Senate Commerce Committee yesterday narrowly approved along party lines the nomination of Stephen Dickson as the next FAA administrator. The 14-12 vote clears the nomination for full Senate consideration. However, the fate of the nomination remains unclear given opposition from the Democratic ranks.
Nominated this spring, the former senior v-p of operations at Delta Air Lines has since come under intense scrutiny following the revelation of a legal complaint filed by a whistleblower alleging that Delta retaliated against her for bringing forward safety complaints. Dickson was in a leadership role at the airline at the time but he did not reveal the legal action to the committee, saying he was not a named party to the complaint.
“We have studied hundreds of pages of legal documents. It is clear that Mr. Dickson was not a named party in any of these matters and was not personally alleged to have retaliated against any of his fellow employees who raised safety concerns," Commerce Committee chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), said, calling Dickson an “an excellent nominee.”
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the ranking member on the Commerce Committee, however, said she could not support the nomination, believing more needs to be researched given the concerns raised by the whistleblower. She called the retaliation against the whistleblower absurd and said, “He has made it clear the handling of the situation is just fine.”
NTSB Issues Preliminary Report in Hawaii King Air Crash
Two additional solo jumpers climbed aboard a Beechcraft King Air A90 skydiving plane shortly before it crashed on takeoff from Dillingham Airfield (HDH) in Hawaii last month, according to the NTSB's preliminary report issued this week. The aircraft (N256TA) was operating its fourth of five scheduled jump flights for the day when it crashed within the airport boundary north of Runway 8/26.
All 11 persons on board were fatally injured in the June 21 accident, including the pilot, three tandem parachute instructors and their customers, two camera operators, and two solo jumpers who joined the flight “at the last minute” before the aircraft taxied out for departure, according to the prelim.
An Oahu Parachute Center (OPC) skydiving instructor who witnessed the accident told investigators the aircraft produced a sound “consistent with the engines operating at high power” as it started its takeoff roll on Runway 8.
"When the airplane came into his view as it headed toward him, it was at an altitude of between 150 and 200 feet above ground level and appeared to be turning,” the Board continued. “He could see its belly, with the top of the cabin facing the ocean to the north. The airplane then struck the ground in a nose-down attitude, and a fireball erupted."
Elit’Avia Bolsters Charter Flight Risk Assessments
Charter operator and business aircraft manager Elit’Avia has implemented Osprey Flight Solutions risk assessment software for its operations, the Solvenia-based company announced this week. The Osprey system allows Elit’Avia to assess the relative security risk of each flight in real time.
“By integrating sophisticated risk assessment into our flight planning, we are providing a safer environment for our passengers and crews,” Elit’Avia CEO Michel Coulomb said. “Furthermore, risk assessment optimizes flight planning and increases overall operational efficiency. Our investment in risk assessment underscores our commitments to safety, operational excellence, and technological innovation.”
The U.K.-based Osprey system combines technology with human analysis to provide access to information on the global aviation security environment. It uses data gathered from more than 200,000 open sources in 60 languages that is first analyzed by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Sources of the information include social media, international and local news media, aviation authorities, government departments, and law enforcement.
FAA Recommends Upping Braking Performance Margins
Recent data indicates that applying a 15 percent safety margin to calculate wet runway stopping distance, as recommended by previous guidance, may be inadequate in certain conditions to prevent a runway excursion, according to a new safety alert for pilots (SAFO 19003). This new alert replaces the guidance in previous SAFO 15009.
“Several recent runway-landing incidents/accidents have raised concerns with wet runway stopping performance assumptions,” according to this new alert. “Analysis of the stopping data from these incidents/accidents indicates the braking coefficient of friction in each case was significantly lower than expected for a wet runway.”
Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (Talpa) procedures implemented by the FAA on Oct. 1, 2016, added new insight as to how flight crews can evaluate runway braking performance before landing. Talpa defines a “wet runway” as damp to 1/8-inch depth or less of water, while a “contaminated runway” is a surface covered with “greater than 1/8-inch of water.”
The FAA recommends, but does not require, that airports report “wet” conditions. Further, an airport may not be able to generate an accurate report from sudden rain showers that result in a contaminated runway. “[Because] rainfall intensity may be the only indication available to the pilot that the water depth...may be excessive, it is recommended that pilots use landing performance data associated with medium to poor braking.”
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) has become the first educational facility to achieve Stage III under the International Standard for Business Aviation Operations (IS-BAO), a voluntary program of industry best practices established and maintained by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). With approximately 1,300 students in training at any given time, and more than 200 instructors along with 30 certified A&P technicians, the school’s flight department fleet currently includes 62 Cessna and 10 Diamond aircraft, with training supported by 12 flight training devices and one full-motion simulator.
It uses flight data monitoring analysis technology so the university’s faculty can see what is happening with an aircraft from the moment it takes off until it lands, allowing it to spot issues before they become problems. The university is also one of a handful of flight training programs to participate in the FAA’s Aviation Safety Action Program, which allows participants to report any safety issues without fear of penalty.
ERAU achieved Stage I registration in May 2015 and earned Stage II in November 2017.
“At Embry-Riddle, our number one focus and priority is always safety,” said Ken Byrnes, chairman of the flight department at the university’s Daytona Beach campus. “There is no doubt that the IS-BAO protocols and registration process have helped us significantly mature our safety management system over the years.”
Count on AIN for Full Coverage of LABACE
As ever, you can count on AIN for full coverage of LABACE 2019. Our team will publish three of our award-winning daily LABACE Convention News editions at the show on August 13, 14, and 15. We will also have comprehensive real-time reporting of all the top news at AINonline.com and in our daily e-newsletters. If you are an exhibiting company that wants to share news or propose pre-show interviews and briefings please contact show editor Ian Sheppard.
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