Radar Vector - Civil Aviation News

Africa world's most dangerous place to fly

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:41:00 +0000

Africa accounts for only 4 per cent of the world's air traffic but nearly a third of the world's air disasters take place on the continent.

Two Qantas pilots suspended for failing to deploy landing gear

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:45:00 +0000

Two Qantas pilots have been suspended from duty after failing to lower the landing gear while approaching Sydney Airport on Oct. 28.

The aircraft was just 700 feet above the ground when the crew realized their mistakes and initiated a go-around.

Student pilot jailed 2 years for stealing plane

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:00 +0000

A Canadian student pilot who stole a plane in hope that he would be shot down by U.S. fighter jets has been sentenced to two-years behind bars.

Adam Dylan Leon was given a longer sentence than outlined in federal guidelines as the judge felt that he had wasted valuable time and money of the authorities.

HTV reenters atmosphere, burns up

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:49:00 +0000

The HTV transfer vehicle is expected to reenter the earth's atmosphere by now and burns up.

Pilot error likely in TAM Flight 3054 crash

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:46:00 +0000

An investigation into the crash of TAM Flight 3054 at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport in July 2007 by the Brazilian military found that pilot error is the likely cause.

One of the A320's thrust reversers had failed to work while the jet was landing on rainy conditions. The air force report said the thruster problem could have been caused by a mechanical failure or by pilot error.

Worried Iran pilot asks passengers to pray

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:07:00 +0000

The captain of a Aseman Airlines' Boeing airliner asked passengers to start praying after his plane was hit by a technical glitch early on Thursday.

The plane had taken off from Teheran airport after a six-hour delay but had to return to the airport after 45 minutes.

Clinton in 'shameless pitch' for Boeing

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:51:00 +0000

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she's making a "shameless pitch" for Boeing during a visit to Russia.

Clinton is pitching Boeing's airliners to Rosavia, Russia's new state-run airline, while on a visit to Russia.

Delayed 747-8 Set For Pre-Flight Shake Tests

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Boeing has gone ahead with the program to start ground vibration tests on RC501, the first 747-8, despite pushing back the maiden flight to 2010.

The test is important to the flight test program due to the aircraft's stretched fuselage and and larger GEnx-2B turbofans.

Embraer May Set Up Chinese E-Jet Line

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Aviation Week reports that Embraer is considering setting up a final assembly line for its Embraer 170/190 family in China.

A decision is expected to be reached within one year.

747-8F could fly before 787

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:11:00 +0000

AIN reports that there is a possibility that the Boeing 747-8F could beat the 787 to making the first flight.

The program manager Mohammad “Mo” Yahyavi told AIN that he expects three aircraft in the air for testing by end of the year.

EASA orders checks on Goodrich pitot tubes

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:09:00 +0000

The European Aviation Safety Agency wants checks to be conducted on Goodrich pitot tubes after there were reports of loose fittings.

EASA blamed it on "mis-torque ... at equipment manufacturing level."

Goodrich denied supplying a faulty batch of probes.

China begins space center construction in southern island of Hainan

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:38:00 +0000

China has started work on its fourth space launch center on the northeast coast of Hainan island.

China's first coastal launching pad is just 19 degrees north of the equator. The center will be completed in 2013.

HTV on its way to ISS

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:53:00 +0000

The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) is on a mission to re-supply the ISS for the first time.

The space freighter was launched aboard a H-IIB rocket at 0201 local time on Friday (1701 GMT, Thursday).

Finmeccanica sees 500 BA609 choppers sold by 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:05:00 +0000

AgustaWestland should sell about 500 of the new BA609 Tiltrotor aircraft by 2013 with Italy buying 40 to 50 aircraft for its police force.

FAA orders replacement of Airbus pitot tubes

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:00:00 +0000

The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday ordered the replacement of pitot tubes made by Thales on Airbus A330 and A340 airliners.

The order affects 43 U.S. registered planes. All are A330s operated by Northwest Airlines and US Airways.

First Chinese jumbo jet engine in 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:48:00 +0000

"China is expected to complete the research of its first jumbo jet engine in 2016 and begin to apply for aviation certificate from the state aviation authority," said Zhang Jian, general manager of AVIC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd.

Fairing on KLSV-1 failed during maiden launch

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:44:00 +0000

South Korea failed in its bid to send a satellite into space using the KLSV-1 due to a problem with one of the payload fairing.

One of the fairing failed to separate during the second-stage burn and the vehicle could not accelerate to its desired speed to put the satellite in correct orbit.

Video: South Korea launches first space rocket

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:43:00 +0000

South Korea's first space rocket was successfully launched about 5 p.m. today but CNN reported that the rocket failed to send the satellite to the correct orbit.

The launcher sent the satellite to an altitude of 360 kilometers instead of 302 kilometers.

Qantas gets fourth A380

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Qantas will increase its Sydney to London and Los Angeles A380 services after getting its fourth A380 airliner.

The Sydney to London route will increase from three to five per week, and Sydney to Los Angeles services from three to four per week as well.

Augustine Panel: NASA Constellation program unaffordable

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:27:00 +0000

The Augustine panel will conclude that NASA will not have the money to return Americans to the moon by 2020.

Panel chairman Norm Augustine said that budget cuts and technical difficulties will ultimately doomed the Constellation program.

Northwest A330s also had speed sensor problems

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:29:00 +0000

While reviewing archived flight data for its fleet of 32 Airbus A330s, Northwest airline discovered that its aircraft had errors reading the airspeed while in flight.

Federal aviation officials say the failures were brief and took place in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which extends from 5 degrees north of the equator to 5 degrees south, and all the planes involved landed safely.

Naro-1 launch postponed

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:01:00 +0000

The maiden launch of South Korea's first space launch vehicle, Naro-1, has been delayed due the malfunction of the backup pump in the engine of the first-stage rocket developed by Russia.

South Korean police rappelled down helicopters to end strike

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:57:00 +0000

South Korean police mounted a helicopter-borne raid to end a strike by ex-workers of bankrupt Ssangyong Motor Co.

Cessna takes off without pilot

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:25:00 +0000

A Cessna decided to take off without its pilot in outback South Australia recently. The pilot was having trouble starting the engine and decided to got out to spin the propeller by hand.

The engine started successfully but the aircraft quickly became airborne and crashed after flying 300 meters.

Airbus recommends pitot from Goodrich for A330/340

noreply@blogger.com (Alert 5) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:27:00 +0000

Airbus is advising airlines to replace pitot tubes made by Thales and replace at least two of the three pitot tubes on each A330 and A340 airliner with those from Goodrich.