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Accidents

Final Report: Maintenance Flaws Led to Fatal Helicopter Crash

Eurocopter AS 350BA, Princeville, Hawaii, March 8, 2007–The NTSB has blamed the fatal crash on the failure of maintenance personnel to properly tighten the
Aircraft

Spirit Breaks Ground on New French Plant

Spirit AeroSystems yesterday broke ground on a new 57,888-sq-ft facility in Saint-Nazaire, France, where it plans to receive and assemble the composite cen
Aircraft

Learjet 85 program moves to Mexico

Bombardier’s Learjet 85 program continues to move forward or, perhaps more accurately, south, with plans to produce all primary structural components of th
Accidents

Preliminary Report: King Air Cabin Door Opens on Takeoff

Hawker Beechcraft C90A, Bismarck, N.D., July 23, 2009–The cabin entry door opened while the aircraft was climbing through 500 feet.
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Birdstrike Causes Beechjet Damage

Hawker Beechcraft 400A, Sugar Land, Texas, July 31, 2009–While on takeoff roll from Sugar Land Municipal Airport and approaching 95 knots,
Accidents

Icing Eyed in Commander Crash

Twin Commander 690C, Wray, Colo., Jan.
Accidents

Tour Helicopter Crashes on Catalina

Eurocopter AS 350D, Avalon, Calif., May 24, 2008–N67GE, operated by Island Express Helicopters under Part 135, crashed while landing at Sa
Accidents

Factual Report: King Air Clips Tree while Taxiing

Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200, Henderson, Nev., March 22, 2009–The twin turboprop, operated by Southern Nevada Jet Charter, collided with
Accidents

Factual Report: JetRanger Crashes during Photo Shoot

Bell 206B, Nokomis, Fla., Sept.
Regulations and Government

Compliance Countdown: October 2009

'compliance_countdown_october 2009.pdf' PDF.

People in Aviation

BBA Aviation has named Peg Billson, formerly COO of Eclipse Aviation, president of BBA Aviation Legacy Support/Ontic.
Aircraft

European SSBJ study holds promise but powerplant remains undefined

High-speed aircraft (Hisac), a European research project to study the feasibility of a supersonic business jet (SSBJ), is coming to a close at the end of t
Aircraft

Mitsubishi Signs U.S. Customer for MRJ

Mitsubishi Aircraft scored an enormous marketing coup today when it signed the first letter of intent from a non-Japanese airline for its new MRJ.
Avionics

Rockwell Collins Preps Fusion for SVS Testing

Rockwell Collins plans to start flight trials early next week of the software load that will add a synthetic-vision presentation to the Pro Line Fusion avi

Charter Demand Still Soft, Say CharterX, Avinode

Executive charter activity is not recovering in line with the prevailing uptick on international stock markets, according to the latest data from online ch
Charter & Fractional

XOJet Dispels Citation X Disposal Talk

Responding to scuttlebutt about selling off its Cessna Citation X fleet, charter aircraft provider XOJet told AIN, “This is incorrect as t
Aircraft

VLJs Neither ‘Revolutionary’ Nor ‘Disruptive’

The marketing hype surrounding very light jets (VLJs) has “largely subsided,” according to Brian Foley, president of business aviation consulting firm Bria

Pelton: Bizav Issues Don’t End at Geographic Lines

Business aviation faces similar issues around the world that will require operators to cooperate across regional lines if the industry is to thrive, Cessna
Aircraft

2009 New Business Jets: Spiraling down: Goodbye Columbus & Epic meltdown

The recession has put the spike to some major new jet development programs, delayed others and shuttered some undercapitalized aircraft companies altogethe
Regulations and Government

Accident prompts call for new birdstrike regs

The NTSB issued recommendations that the FAA revise birdstrike certification requirements and more carefully monitor charter operators following the Board’
Aircraft

2009 New Business Jets: Recession raises the jet singles bar

Citing a combination of specific business challenges, market conditions and capital scarcity, the three leading single-engine VLJ contenders–Cirrus, Diamon
Aircraft

2009 New Business Jets: Composites, winglets and clean sheets

Despite the recession, a significant number of new aircraft programs remain largely on track.

NBAA Convention preview: Sputtering economy casts a shadow over this month’s event

This year’s 62nd National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting & Convention (October 20 to 22) probably won’t exceed previous records, but later th
Regulations and Government

EU endorses IS-BAO standard

The European Union has granted the International Business Aviation Council’s (IBAC) International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) offici
Regulations and Government

FAA reauthorization bill remains stalled in Senate

With Congress wrangling over health-care reform and the September 30 end of Fiscal Year 2009 fast approaching, at press time it appeared that yet another s
Aircraft

Phenom 100 owners gather, plan to form an association

A small group of Embraer Phenom 100 owners came together in Santa Barbara, Calif., on A
Aircraft

Eclipse Aero reopens factory, starts hiring, looks to future

The bankrupt status of Eclipse Aviation finally ended in August after Eclipse Aerospace bought the assets of the very light jet manufacturer for $40 millio
Sustainability and Environment

FAA issues guidance on biodiesel contaminant

The FAA’s recent special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB: NE-09-25R1) regarding recommended safe-operating guidelines in the possible presence of
Aircraft

Mitsubishi to Delay MRJ First Flight

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (MJet) announced last month that it will delay first flight of the 92-seat MRJ90 by as much as six months, from late 2011 t