The project, which already broke ground in June 2023, aims to increase flight capacity and reduce delays at the world’s seventh-busiest airport. The airport anticipates construction of the $1 billion project to be completed by fall 2027.

“The FAA and the Biden-Harris administration are pleased to assist CLT in ensuring the safest and most stress-free experience for travelers possible,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta Griffin, in a news release. “The fourth runway project delivers on both goals—not only for travelers in and out of Charlotte, but for those visiting one of the nearly 200 cities with routes from CLT.”

In addition to the new runway, the grant will fund the completion of north and south end-around taxiways and other airfield improvements to enhance safety and increase capacity, the agency said.

Positioned west of Runway 18C/36C, the new runway will be roughly 10,000 feet long and is expected to significantly improve capacity at the airport.

“We are thrilled to receive this notable investment from the FAA,” said Charlotte airport CEO Haley Gentry in the release. “The funding will enable the airport to continue progress on this crucial and nationally significant infrastructure project, boosting capacity and operational efficiency.”

Charlotte is American Airlines’ second-largest hub with approximately 700 flights per day. In 2023, the airline said it was eyeing plans for up to 800 daily flights with the new runway.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post FAA Invests $290M in Long-Awaited New Runway in Charlotte appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The June 28 incident occurred at 8:58 a.m. as the crew of the Boeing 717 was preparing for landing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (KCLT), according to preliminary information from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The aircraft was about 2,000 feet agl when the first officer lowered the landing gear handle and the nosewheel unsafe condition light illuminated.

• READ MORE: Delta Boeing 717 Landing on the Nose Being Investigated

“The unsafe condition was confirmed in the configuration page of the electronic instrument system (EIS),” the report said. “A go-around was initiated to troubleshoot and complete the applicable checklists. A manual gear extension was attempted without success.”

The flight crew contacted Delta’s Atlanta flight control via aircraft communication addressing and reporting system (ACARS), and declared an emergency with air traffic control. Conditions were VFR, and the aircraft was cleared for an approach to Runway 36L. 

“As the airplane approached 300 feet agl, ATC notified the flight crew that the nose wheel was not visible, and a second go-around was initiated,” NTSB said.

After several more attempts to lower the nosewheel using both electronic and manual landing gear extension procedures, the decision was made to proceed with the landing.

Video captured from inside the aircraft by a passenger noted how smooth the landing was as the airplane touched down approximately 1,400 feet from the runway’s threshold and the nose lowered onto the pavement. The airplane came to a stop near Taxiway W7. Airport fire and rescue sprayed the nose wheel area with water and when it was deemed safe, the passengers were evacuated through the two forward doors. 

There were no injuries to the 99 passengers or five flight crew members.

The subsequent inspection of the aircraft nose gear revealed the upper lock link had fractured, which allowed the lower lock link to swing down to a vertical position, restricting the movement of the nose landing gear assembly, NTSB said.

The fractured lock link was sent to the NTSB materials laboratory for examination, and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), and the flight data recorder (FDR) were sent to the NTSB recorders laboratory for download. The aircraft’s maintenance records have also been quarantined and will be reviewed, NTSB said.

The post NTSB Focuses on Mechanical Failure in Charlotte Nose Landing appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The transport category jet, identified as Delta Flight 1092, made an emergency landing with no injuries to the 104 persons on board.

According to Delta, the flight departed from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL) at 7:25 a.m. EDT.

“As it approached KCLT, the pilots received a ‘nose gear unsafe’ indication,” the airline told FLYING in a statement. “The crew aborted the landing to further investigate the indication. Initial reports indicate that the flight crew flew by the [KCLT] air traffic control tower to allow air traffic controllers an opportunity to visually inspect the plane. That observation indicated that the nose landing gear doors were open, but the nose gear itself remained in the up position.”

The pilots were able to land the airplane on Runway 18R/36L. According to airnav.com, the runway measures 9,000 feet by 150 feet. 

Video shot by a passenger inside the aircraft and posted on the airport’s Facebook page shows the passengers in the cabin in the brace position as the airplane approaches the runway. The touchdown is smooth, leading a man to remark, “That was not bad at all,” followed by the sound of metal sliding on pavement.

My son was on that plane . Front Landing gear did not come down. Landed safely. Pilot did phenomenal job. pic.twitter.com/0H5vQ2dB7P

— Janice Skotarczak (@GrammaJanna1) June 28, 2023

Social media posts from the airport show the airplane on the runway with the evacuation slide deployed. Passengers calmly walked across the runway, some pausing to use their smartphones to capture an image of the crippled airliner.

Airport officials and the FAA were on scene for several hours, and the runway remained closed. The airport has three runways aligned 18/36 and runway 5/23. While 18R/36L remains closed, the other runways are operational, and the facility remains open at this time.

“Our focus is now to take care of our customers on this flight, including retrieving their bags and seeing them to their final destinations safely,” Delta said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for what they experienced.” 

Delta deployed a TechOps aircraft recovery team and a flight safety team to KCLT and noted the airline is fully cooperating with FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigations.

The post Delta Boeing 717 Landing on the Nose Being Investigated appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The name change is in honor of Capt. C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger, who along with copilot Jeff Skiles, ditched US Airways Flight 1549 safely in New York’s Hudson River after losing power in both engines.

• READ MORE: New Earhart Museum to Open this Spring

On January 15, 2009, flight 1549 was en route from New York La Guardia Airport to Charlotte North Carolina, when at low altitude, the aircraft encountered a flock of birds resulting in a dual loss of engine power. Sullenberger and Skiles put the Airbus 320 down in the river with no loss of life to the 155 souls on board.

Miracle on the Hudson

The 2009 event was dubbed “Miracle on the Hudson” by the media, and both Sullenberger and Skiles became aviation celebrities and made their way around the country doing talks at aviation events on the subject of cockpit resource management and aviation safety. 

The Airbus 320 was pulled from the river and installed in the Museum in 2011, as many of the passengers onboard the aircraft that day were Charlotteans on their way from the Big Apple.

Sullenberger, who retired from the airlines and was the U.S. ambassador to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), visited Renaissance West STEAM Academy in West Charlotte last week. While there, museum leaders and other officials gave an update on the museum’s capital campaign and construction next to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (KCLT). 

• READ MORE: Museum Spotlight: Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

“The Sullenberger Aviation Museum will be the premier aviation museum of the Southeast and will allow visitors to experience the past, present and future of aviation like never before,” Sullenberger Aviation Museum Board Chair Marc Oken said in a statement. “This reimagined museum will serve as a vital resource to help students and adults connect to careers in STEM-based industries all while showcasing the power and potential of the human imagination through the wonder of flight and transforming lives and economic vitality in the Carolinas.”

Ground breaking on the new 105,000-square-foot facility is slated for September of 2023, with the new facility slated to open at the end of the year.

• READ MORE: ‘Sully’ Steps Down from ICAO Role

The museum was first opened in 1992 and over the years has grown into an educational resource and innovation center offering science, technology, engineering, and math applications to local schools.

The post NC Aviation Museum Renamed in Honor of Capt. ‘Sully’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.