Design & Certification

Design Organisations / DOAs, Part 21, EMAR-21, DAOS, Aircraft Design, Aeronautical Engineering

Yuma Hawk Accident: Lessons on Ex-Military Aircraft Operation

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Military / Defence, Regulation, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

A US fatal accident with an ex-Korean Hawk, operated by a defence contractor, highlights some of the issues of civil use of ex-military aircraft.

Yuma Hawk Accident: Lessons on Ex-Military Aircraft Operation Read Post »

HF Case Study

Errant Notebook Sends Diving Ship Off-Station – HF in Design

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Human Factors / Performance, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

Errant Notebook Sends Diving Ship Off-Station – HF in Design The Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has recently published a safety alert on a serious incident to a Dynamic Position (DP) vessel that made an uncommanded movement during a diving operation that highlighted a significant design vulnerability. The Incident The vessel

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ANSV Issue AW609 Tilt Rotor Accident Investigation Report

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, FDM / Data Recorders, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, News, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

ANSV Issue AW609 Tilt Rotor Accident Investigation Report Investigators say a prototype tilt rotor broke up in flight after a divergent dutch roll developed in a high speed dive. The Italian civil aviation safety investigation authority, the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV), has issued an interim statement of the loss of prototype #2 (AC2) Leonardo AW609  tilt rotor  N609AG

ANSV Issue AW609 Tilt Rotor Accident Investigation Report Read Post »

UK AAIB: Boeing Safety Responses ‘Not Adequate’

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

UK AAIB: Boeing Safety Responses ‘Not Adequate’ Six months ago we published an article that discussed the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report into a serious incident involving a Boeing 747-443 G-VROM on 29 December 2014.  AAIB has recently published an update on responses to their recommendations by Boeing.  Two were classed ‘Not Adequate’, one ‘Partially Adequate’

UK AAIB: Boeing Safety Responses ‘Not Adequate’ Read Post »

Pilatus PC-24 Drops into EBACE

Business Aviation, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Mining / Resource Sector, News, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Special Mission Aircraft

Pilatus PC-24 Drops into EBACE As the first prototype, P01, drops into the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva for a day, AW&ST report that: PC-24 Prototypes Are Keeping Busy: The first aircraft, P01, is appearing at the show before flying to Spain for high-speed testing, while P02 has flown to the U.S. There

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UKMFTS Rotary Wing Aircraft Service Provision Contract Awarded

Design & Certification, Helicopters, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Military / Defence

UK Military Flying Training System Rotary Wing Aircraft Service Provision Contract Awarded In the second major UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) contract award this year, Airbus Helicopters has won the contract to provide training helicopters for the RAF, Royal Navy and Army Air Corps until 2033.  Airbus will supply and maintain 29 H135s (to be given the UK military name Juno) and three

UKMFTS Rotary Wing Aircraft Service Provision Contract Awarded Read Post »

Offshore Helicopter Safety Performance: 2016 HeliOffshore Conference Report

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Resilience, Safety Culture, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

We report from the second HeliOffshore Conference and AGM on commitment and collaboration to improve offshore helicopter safety.

Offshore Helicopter Safety Performance: 2016 HeliOffshore Conference Report Read Post »

Bell 412 Cross Tube Failure Case Study

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Bell 412 Cross Tube Failure Case Study Earlier this year the German accident investigation agency, the BFU, published their report into Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Bell 412HP that suffered a rear cross tube failure during start up at a hospital in Berlin on 6 September 2010. The helicopter was fitted with ‘high’ skids manufactured by Aeronautical Accessories Inc

Bell 412 Cross Tube Failure Case Study Read Post »

EC225 Main Rotor Head and Main Gear Box Design

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

EC225/H225 Main Rotor Head and Main Gear Box Design (CHC LN-OJF Fatal Accident 2016) Following the recent tragic accident at Turøy near Bergen, Norway involving CHC Airbus EC225/H225 LN-OJF there is a lot of interest in the Main Rotor (MR) and Main Gear Box (MGB) design of the EC225.  Here we provide some background information on the

EC225 Main Rotor Head and Main Gear Box Design Read Post »

UK To Buy “Certifiable Predator B” Protector

Design & Certification, Military / Defence, News, Special Mission Aircraft

UK To Buy “Certifiable Predator B” Protector The UK MOD has announced in a low key contracts notice that they intend to meet the PROTECTOR Unmanned Aerial System requirement to replace the RAF Reaper MQ-9A fleet, through a £415 million Government-Government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract with the US Department of Defence (US DoD).  UPDATE 27 April 2016: This

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A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Safety Recommendation Update

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Regulation, Safety Management

A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Safety Recommendation Update The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has issued an update on responses to their safety recommendations from their investigation into British Airways Airbus A319 G-EUOE.  G-EUOE, powered by IAE V2500s, lost both engine fan cowlings and suffered an associated fire on take-off from London Heathrow

A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Safety Recommendation Update Read Post »

C-130 Fireball Due to Modification Error

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Military / Defence, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

C-130 Fireball Due to Modification Error A botched modification program unnecessarily changed the original design for a hydraulic system modification when a drawing was misread.  A longer hydraulic hose was necessary after that change but an inappropriate design process short-cut meant the shorter hose remained listed as an alternative.  The shorter hose was fitted to the modified fleet

C-130 Fireball Due to Modification Error Read Post »

Fatigued Flight Test Crew Superjet 100 Crosswind Accident

Accidents & Incidents, Air Traffic Management / Airspace, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Regulation, Safety Management

Fatigued Flight Test Crew Crosswind Accident The Icelandic Transportation Safety Board (ITSB), the RNSA, recently issued their report into a wheels up runway excursion accident that occurred on 21 July 2013 to Sukhoi RRJ-95B ‘Superjet 100’ 97005 during flight tests by Sukhoi at Keflavik airport. The Flight Test Objective and the Accident Flight The purpose of

Fatigued Flight Test Crew Superjet 100 Crosswind Accident Read Post »

Heli-Expo 2016 Photo Report

Accidents & Incidents, Business Aviation, Design & Certification, FDM / Data Recorders, Helicopters, Military / Defence, Mining / Resource Sector, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Special Mission Aircraft, Survivability / Ditching

Heli-Expo 2016 Photo Report News from HAI Heli-Expo 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky (1-3 March 2016): Airbus Helicopters H215 Airbus Helicopters had on show the newly designated H215, formerly the AS332C1e (i.e. an enhanced, short fuselage Super Puma) and AS332L1e (the long fuselage version), to be built in Romania and aimed at aerial work, disaster relief and other

Heli-Expo 2016 Photo Report Read Post »

Pitot Punctures Floats in Icelandic SAR Ditching

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Offshore, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft, Survivability / Ditching

Pitot Punctures Floats in Icelandic SAR Ditching The ditching of Icelandic Coast Guard Aérospatiale SA365N Dauphin TF-SIF in the Atlantic off Reykjavik on 16 July 2007 highlights the importance of avoiding protuberances that can puncture emergency flotation systems, careful configuration management and establishing emergency drills. The Icelandic Transportation Safety Board (ITSB), the RNF, issued their report in

Pitot Punctures Floats in Icelandic SAR Ditching Read Post »

Falcon 7X LOC-I Due To Solder Defect

Accidents & Incidents, Business Aviation, Design & Certification, Safety Management

Falcon 7X LOC-I Due To Solder Defect On 25 May 2011, Dassault Falcon 7X business jet, HB-JFN, operated by Jet-Link, suffered a pitch trim runaway that caused a 40° pitch up, rapid climb and temporary Loss of Control Inflight (LOC-I) over Malaysia. First flown in 2005 and certified in April 2007, after a 590 flight, 1600 flying hour test programme,

Falcon 7X LOC-I Due To Solder Defect Read Post »

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