According to Reuters, the audit will evaluate each airport’s risks, identify potential issues with procedures and equipment, and make recommendations to improve safety. FAA’s Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service is conducting the review and expects to complete it by early 2025.

The agency’s study is partly in response to recommendations made in November 2023 by an independent aviation review team, which called for urgent actions to enhance safety after several close calls involving passenger jets.

As recently as September, a controller cleared a Southwest Airlines plane to cross a runway just seconds before another controller cleared an Alaska Airlines jet to take off. The Alaska aircraft was forced to abort its takeoff to prevent a collision from occurring, narrowly averting disaster.

These incidents have raised concerns among aviation stakeholders and agencies like the National Transportation Safety Board, which is currently investigating multiple close calls. Meanwhile, the FAA says it is in the process of implementing new surface-awareness technologies at airports around the country to further enhance safety and mitigate incursion incidents.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition, co-chaired by former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt and former U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary John D. Porcari, includes industry stakeholders such as Boeing, Airbus, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines, as well as GE Aerospace, Safran and Standard Aero.

The coalition was formed in response to 2023 revelations from jet engine manufacturer CFM International, jointly owned by GE Aerospace and France’s Safran, which found that thousands of engine components may have been sold with forged documentation by the British distributor AOG Technics.

Over a nine-month period, coalition members met with the goal of strengthening the overall integrity and safety of the supply chain. The group concluded with 13 recommendations focused on three key areas: strengthening vendor accreditation, digitizing documentation and improving the traceability of parts.

According to Reuters, while fewer than 1 percent of CFM engines in service were affected by this issue, the incident underscored the need for further action. It primarily impacted a small number of CFM56 models, the most widely sold passenger jet engines in the world.

“We were able to stop a rogue actor and quarantine the parts last year thanks to swift action from the aviation industry, but more is needed to stop anyone who tries to take a shortcut in the future,” said Sumwalt.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, the bodies of five adults were discovered at the crash site, located in steep, rugged terrain approximately a mile west of the airport. Emergency crews were dispatched following a 911 call from a cellphone that indicated involvement in a collision, providing GPS coordinates for the location.

KTLA reported that the aircraft belonged to Ali Safai, 73, a former flight instructor, who made the trip from Santa Monica Airport to Catalina Airport to help two pilots from Proteus Flight school who were stranded due to mechanical issues. FlightAware shows the aircraft departed Santa Monica Airport around 6 p.m. and arrived at Catalina Airport some 20 minutes later.  

Tuesday’s crash occurred around 8 p.m. though the airport officially closes at 5 p.m. It is unclear if the pilot had prior permission to operate after hours.

Catalina Airport, often referred to as the “Airport in the Sky,” is situated at an elevation of 1,602 feet on an island 25 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. Its single 3,000-foot runway can present challenges for pilots, particularly due to potential downdrafts caused by the surrounding terrain.

The NTSB and FAA said the crash occurred under “unknown circumstances” and the investigation is ongoing.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The National Hurricane Center warned that Helene would likely bring heavy rainfall and “devastating hurricane-force winds” inland to north Florida and Georgia on Friday.

A spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine Tyndall’s 95th Fighter Squadron relocated its F-35s to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada ahead of the storm warnings, noting that they will remain safe there until conditions improve at Tyndall. Meanwhile, officials at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia also evacuated its HH-60 combat rescue helicopters and A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets to ensure their safety.

According to reports, Tyndall is still undergoing reconstruction due to damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018, which tore apart hangars and damaged several F-22 Raptors, causing some $5 billion in damage. Fortunately, Tyndall officials do not anticipate major disruptions from Helene.

Tyndall remains closed to non-mission-essential staff.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Tyndall Air Force Base Evacuates Aircraft Ahead of Storm appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The agency intends to use this software to more effectively track its increasing number of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), which are vital for investigating accidents. The NTSB does not have a centralized system for tracking its drones, which are used to capture video and photos of incidents and perform mapping and photogrammetry.

In its posting, the NTSB notes that, until recently, its UAS program has been operated on a small scale, with just five drones, four active crewmembers, and one program lead. Documentation of fleet assets and personnel was managed manually through basic spreadsheets and databases, a process the agency described as “archaic” and “inefficient,” making it difficult to maintain a robust safety management system.

The NTSB said it has recently launched its UAS Flight Operations program—expanding its aircraft fleet from five to 12 drones—and has increased personnel to a team of 15.

“Implementation of a solution for both aircraft and program management will serve to improve the effectiveness and integrity of NTSB investigations,” the agency said.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The announcement was made Thursday during a signing ceremony at Gulfstream’s customer support facility in Farnborough, England.

• READ MORE: Gulfstream G400 Makes First Flight, Launches Test Program

“We appreciate DC Aviation’s commitment to and confidence in the G400, bringing this category-leading aircraft to European charter customers,” said Scott Neal, Gulfstream’s senior vice president of worldwide sales. “The compelling combination of speed, efficiency, and cabin size of the G400 fills a much-needed void in its category. We are seeing strong demand for this aircraft in Europe and around the world.”

• READ MORE: Gulfstream G700 Obtains FAA Certification

The G400 made its debut flight on August 15, reaching a speed of Mach 0.85 and altitude of 41,000 feet. The aircraft boasts advanced technology, including Gulfstream’s Symmetry Flight Deck and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812GA engines, promising superior performance and efficiency.

The G400 has an impressive projected range of 4,200 nm and features a 100 percent fresh air system and low cabin altitude pressurization. The aircraft is priced at $34.5 million.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Gulfstream Secures First G400 Sale appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

SA-097 emphasized that “as little as 1/4-inch of wing-leading edge ice accumulation can increase the stall speed by 25 to 40 knots and cause sudden departure from controlled flight.”

The alert also warned that ice buildup on pitot tubes can lead to instrument failure, impacting readings for airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed.

The NTSB acknowledged that some pilots have been taught to wait for a certain amount of ice to accumulate on the leading edges before using deice boots due to concerns about ice bridging. However, the FAA’s recent tests show that modern deicing boots, from aircraft manufactured after 1960, are not prone to ice bridging.

The agency warned that performance issues may arise if deice boots are not engaged promptly when icing begins and advises pilots to refer to their operating handbooks for specific procedures on boot activation and use.

The alert also cited several accidents where failure to follow operating handbook instructions led to in-flight loss of control, underscoring the critical importance of adhering to recommended deicing practices.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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According to Dallas-Fort Worth’s KXAS-TV, Denton-based TWU is now the only woman-focused university nationwide with a professional pilot program.

Backed by a $15 million grant from the Doswell Foundation, TWU’s program will offer two degree tracks: professional pilot and flight operations. Classes will be held on campus, with flight training conducted at Denton Enterprise Airport (KDTO) in partnership with the U.S. Aviation Academy. The initiative aims to enhance career opportunities for women in aviation and support the growing demand for pilots.

Brittany Dinsmore, the school’s associate director and chief flight instructor, highlighted the program’s success.

“What we’re really excited about with our program is that we’re kind of seeing a reverse,” Dinsmore told KXAS. “So, in traditional aviation programs like the one I went to, it’s usually mostly men. And you might get two or three women. But what we’re seeing with our inaugural class that’s coming in, it’s actually 25 women and two men. So, we’ve completely reversed the ratio.”

Each semester is limited to around 30 students, so the school with a total enrollment of about 15,000 is already at capacity for the fall. However, recruitment for the spring semester is underway.  

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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According to the Journal, earlier this month, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the arrival of the first of 80 F-16s in the country. While the Ukrainian Air Force didn’t specify the number of aircraft received, a U.S. official confirmed a total of six had arrived with six Ukrainian pilots trained to operate them.

• READ MORE: Ukraine to Use First F-16s Cautiously

The cause of Monday’s crash remains unclear amid conflicting reports. The Journal suggested the crash was likely due to pilot error, as initial reports indicated the jet was not brought down by enemy fire. However, a Ukrainian military source told CNN that the Ukrainian Defense Forces do not believe pilot error was the cause.

• READ MORE: Ukraine Looking for Retired F-16 Pilots

CNN further reported that pilot Oleksiy Mes, known as “Moonfish,” was killed in the crash while defending against what was described as Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine. Mes was one of the few pilots trained to fly the F-16.

According to the source, Ukrainian pilots began their training in the U.S. last fall, and while the standard training period is one year, Mes and the others completed it in just six months.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Ukrainian F-16 Destroyed in Crash Just Weeks After Arrival appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to a report from CBS News Detroit, in August 2007 pilot Karen Dodds, 52, and her fiance, passenger H. Brooke Stauffer Jr., 56, disappeared while flying a SOCATAa TB-20 Trinidad from Mackinac Island. While Dodds’ remains were recovered two months after the crash, the aircraft and Stauffer were never found.

In October 2023, at the request of family members, a private firm, Great Lakes Search and Recovery, resumed the search. Earlier in August, the team discovered aircraft wreckage near Bois Blanc Island.

State police reported that divers recovered skeletal remains from the crash site that have been confirmed to be those of the missing passenger.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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