Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Indonesian authorities curtailed the search for AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 on Sunday as darkness fell in the region covering the flight path between Surabaya, Indonesia, and Singapore. Jakarta air traffic control lost contact with the Airbus A320-200 at 7:24 a.m. local time after pilots asked to change course and increase altitude in an effort to avoid bad weather during the scheduled flight carrying 155 passengers and seven crewmembers. The flight took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 5:35 a.m. The pilots of the flight did not declare an emergency before ATC lost contact nearly two hours later.

 


At 8 p.m. local time ships with large searchlights continued a limited nighttime search of the waters of the Java Sea, roughly midway between Surabaya and Singapore. The CFM56-5B-powered airplane, delivered in October 2008 and registered as PK-AXC, had accumulated some 23,000 hours during 13,600 flights, according to Airbus.

 


The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on November 16, 2014, according to an AirAsia statement.

 


&nbsp;

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Authorities Suspend Airborne Search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501

Ships on Java Sea continue to comb waters for wreckage 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

David Jack Kenny

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Preliminary and final accident reports, December 2024

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: December 2024

Charles Alcock

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News and information about crew, passenger, aircraft and airport security issues.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Spanish charter carrier was operating flight for express package group DHL

Swiftair 737 Freighter Crashes On Approach to Vilnius

Matt Thurber

Preparation and training resulted in a survivable accident

Bombardier Safety Standdown: Surviving the Fire

Aircraft caught fire and burned after hitting a vehicle

Five Killed in HondaJet Rejected Takeoff Crash at KFFZ

Preliminary and final accident reports, November 2024

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: November 2024

Gordon Gilbert

Fatal accidents were down year over year from 12 to 10

Year-to-date Bizav Accidents Decline

Aircraft touched down on the runway then departed onto a grassy area

Passenger Lands King Air C90 after Pilot Medical Issue

Mark Huber

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

More In Accidents