Aviation International News
June 2017
PUBLICATIONS Vol. 49 No. 6 $9.00
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A380 wake-upset pilots used clouds for recovery by Gordon Gilbert Were it not for a few clouds in an otherwise completely blue sky above a blue ocean, the outcome of the loss-of-control accident involving a Germanregistered Bombardier Challenger 604 on January 7 this
year could have been a plunge into the Arabian Sea. As it was, several passengers were seriously injured from the gyrations of the aircraft after it encountered wake vortices from an Airbus A380 and the aircraft itself
was severely damaged. Those clouds helped the crew regain control, preventing a crash that surely would have been fatal for all nine aboard. Germany’s BFU, lead investigator of the mishap, issued an interim report last month that shows just how close the German-registered twinjet came to crashing after the pilots temporarily lost control following the encounter with wake turbulence from the passing A380. According to the report, the A380,
flying southeast in the opposite direction at FL350, passed 1,000 feet overhead and slightly to the right of the Challenger, which was flying northwest. At this point, the aircraft was 500 nm from the nearest land. Forty eight seconds after the two aircraft passed each other and with the A380 some 15 nm away, the Challenger suffered an upset caused by the wake vortex from the larger aircraft and quickly went out
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Aircraft Dassault To Launch Another Falcon The French airframer is preparing to launch another model by year-end. The effort is focusing on ‘enhanced comfort’ and reducing environmental footprint. page 12
ATC DOD Reverses on ATC Reform In a letter to the House of Representatives the Department of Defense said it is supportive of a proposal to privatize ATC, a change from its position in March. page 10
Air Transport New Widebodies Airframers are preparing to deliver new and derivative models to a market that has seemingly lost its previous appetite for twin-aisle aircraft. page 56
Aircraft Insurance 2017
DAVID McINTOSH
Securing adequate coverage and compliance with rules in all geographic areas of operation were among the key issues under discussion. page 20
OPTIMISM AT EUROPE’S 2017 EBACE SHOW After “years of sluggishness” European business aviation is seeing signs of a resurgence, reported Brandon Mitchener, the European Business Aviation Association’s new CEO, at last month’s EBACE. Although the show was short on blockbuster news, OEMs signaled their commitment, with announcements about progress on in-development programs, as operators signed on for current products. The event attracted some 400 exhibitors and 60 aircraft on static display.
Improved Pirep process key to safer ops, finds NTSB study by Sean Broderick Aircraft operators and air traffic management stakeholders can make U.S. airspace safer by improving weather reporting protocol and being more diligent about ensuring the right people get clear, consistent data in a timely manner, an NTSB study on pilot weather reports (Pireps) found. The report, “Improving Pilot Weather Report Submission and Dissemination
to Benefit Safety in the National Airspace System,” was prompted by findings in 16 NTSB investigations from 2012 to 2015 that spotlighted areas of concern. In two instances, the Board identified failure to deliver Pireps to flight crews as a contributing factor. In the other probes, the NTSB identified Pirep-related shortcomings but
determined they did not play a prominent role in the incidents and accidents. “The prevalence of these issues across numerous investigations, as well as the similarities between these issues and the concerns voiced by Pirep user groups, suggests that such problems are widespread,” the NTSB wrote in the report, which was adopted on March 29. “The NTSB believes that correcting these systemic Pirep-related issues can help reduce the occurrence of hazardous weather encounters in the NAS.” The report focuses on three broad themes: pilots need to make more submissions to bolster data quantity; submissions
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