Aircraft News - North America

AirGuide Business, Sept 8, 2008

Sep 8, 2008

Ballistic Recovery Systems, manufacturer of whole-aircraft emergency parachute systems, has entered into an agreement with Martin Jetpacks to supply its emergency parachute recovery system for its ultralight system. BRS says its parachute will enable "the jetpack pilot to be saved during a catastrophic failure even when flying at a reasonably low altitude. Ballistic parachutes will open and function properly at relatively low altitudes, particularly if the aircraft has some forward speed. Work will begin soon to develop a "reliable, yet unobtrusive, safety system for this unique platform", says South St Paul, Minnesota-based BRS. The Martin Jetpack was unveiled at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh Wisconsin in July and are priced at $100,000. The Christchurch, New Zealand-based company is planning to sell 10-20 units a year once production begins in 2009. Sep 4, 2008

Air New Zealand, San Francisco International Airport

Acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell plans to welcome an Air New Zealand flight when it lands today at San Francisco International Airport after demonstrating technologies and procedures designed to make flying more economical and environmentally friendly. Working with officials in New Zealand, the FAA plans to shorten flight time, smooth the plane's descent and get it to the gate faster, helping to conserve fuel and cut carbon emissions. If successful, the techniques are expected to be widely adopted throughout the industry, as the operational benefits that carriers see will also translate to fewer delays and shorter flight times for passengers. "This is going to be a big one for business," Sturgell said. "As a former airline pilot myself, I can tell you this will change how things work from gate to gate." Sep 8, 2008

Air Tahoma, Convair

Crew killed as Air Tahoma Convair 580 crashes in Ohio. None of the three crew members on board a US Convair 580 freighter has survived after the aircraft crashed shortly after departing its base at Columbus' Rickenbacker Airport. Initial indications suggest the aircraft, operated by Columbus-based cargo carrier Air Tahoma, was on a training flight before yesterday's accident. Ohio-based fire service support sources have identified the aircraft as being registered N587X, which Flight's ACAS database lists as a 52-year old example owned by the carrier. The aircraft, fitted with twin Allison 501-D13 engines, had logged over 71,900 hours and 115,700 cycles. Preliminary information states that the Convair came down in a corn field about 3km southwest of Rickenbacker Airport.

The fire support source states that none of the three crew members on the aircraft - two pilots and an instructor - survived the crash. "Fire crews were hampered by access issues due to the aircraft coming to rest several hundred yards from a road, in the middle of a local farm's corn field," it adds. Meteorological data shows weather conditions at Rickenbacker Airport at the time of the accident, about 12:00, were good.

The airport is sited 16km southeast of Columbus city centre, and specialises in freight operations. It has two parallel runways, 5L/23R and 5R/23L. The crash site is close to the approach and departure paths to the southwest of the airport, but the aircraft's phase of flight at the time is unclear. Air Tahoma suffered a fatal Convair 580 accident on approach to Cincinnati four years ago, which investigators attributed to fuel starvation following incorrect fuel-crossfeed procedures reported Flight. Sep 2, 2008

Alaska Airlines, Boeing

Alaska Airlines said Tuesday it will install a runway incursion warning system on its entire fleet of Boeing 737s, becoming the first passenger airline to do so. The Runway Awareness and Advisory System, developed by Honeywell International, tells pilots on the ground which runway they are approaching and whether they have enough space for a safe takeoff, as well as warning them if they start to take off on a taxiway. Alaska expects to finish installing the software on all its jets by the end of the month. Sep 8, 2008

Alaska Airlines, Boeing

Alaska Airlines' last MD-80 was retired Friday, leaving the carrier with a fleet of 108 737s including 69 737NGs. It has eight more NGs scheduled for delivery this year. Alaska Air began a program in 2006 to retire its 26 MD-80s and replace them with 737NGs. It noted that the 737-800, of which it now has 37, burns 850 gal. of fuel per hr. compared to 1,100 by the MD-80. "A common fleet type also will result in lower costs for maintenance, training and flight crew scheduling," it said. Sep 1, 2008

American Airlines, Boeing

An American Airlines passenger jet forced back to Los Angeles International Airport by a blown tire landed safely about two hours later on Tuesday after flying over the Pacific Ocean to burn off excess fuel. American Airlines Flight 1586, a Boeing 737 bound for Toronto with 135 people aboard, blew a left rear tire on its main landing gear, apparently on takeoff from LAX, at about 11 am local time, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said. Live local television coverage showed the plane touching down on an LAX runway and coming to a safe stop shortly before 1 pm local time. FAA spokesman said it was not immediately clear when the plane's crew first learned that the tire had blown, but the damage was confirmed during a low pass over the airport's control tower shortly after takeoff. American Airlines said the aircraft was carrying 130 passengers and five crew members. LAX is the world's fifth busiest passenger airport, and the third most heavily used in the United States. It handled nearly 62 million passengers in 2007. Sep 2, 2008