News

The pilots of Air France Flight 447 flew the aircraft into deep stall at 38,000 feet, never verbally acknowledged or corrected that condition, and the aircraft fell for more than three minutes at nearly 11,000 feet per minute into the Atlantic, killing all aboard, investigators said Friday. The jet maintained a nose up attitude — […]

Nominations are due by May 31, 2011, for awards presented each year by the National Aeronautic Association, in collaboration with the Air Care Alliance, to recognize contributions to public benefit flying. Nominations are accepted for five categories that cover volunteer pilots, volunteers, achievement in the advancement of public benefit flying, teamwork between unaffiliated organizations, and […]

On May 17, 2011, the pilot of a Cirrus SR22 became incapacitated while climbing for 17,000, through clouds, out of San Bernardino en route to Colorado Springs — we now have audio of the event. On board the Cirrus, a 70-year-old pilot was flying with his non-pilot wife. They were in daytime IFR conditions when […]

Sources speaking ahead of an official release of information expected Friday suggest that content collected from the cockpit voice and data recorders of Air France Flight 447 is building a case for pilot error. The investigation has so far implicated pitot tubes, which may have fallen victim to icing at 35,000 feet. But The Wall […]

The first aircraft from Pipistrel’s coming Panthera line will carry four people and full fuel for more than 1000 nautical miles, with reserves, at 202 KTAS, while burning 10 gallons per hour — and it may be the least efficient of the Panthera line. Pipistrel has plans to produce three versions of the aircraft, including […]

Flight instructors complained when unannounced changes to FAA knowledge tests led to a spike in student failures, and now the FAA has agreed to make changes in one test and revise the grades of students who got some questions wrong. Representatives of AOPA, the National Association of Flight Instructors, several university aviation programs, and others […]

As the business jet industry expands geographically, if not economically, companies are finding well-heeled customers all over the world and oil-rich Nigeria is among the newest targets for the well-traveled sales leaders of the major airframers. According to the Daily Independent at least six high-end business jets have been sold to Nigerian nationals in the […]

The NTSB says it can’t be sure, but it seems likely that something bad happened to the pilot of the turbine Otter that crashed in Alaska last Aug. 9, killing Sen. Ted Stevens and four others. It’s not often that NTSB investigators fail to agree on the probable cause of an accident, but on Tuesday […]

Diamond Aircraft President Peter Maurer says the company isn’t ruling out anything, including Chinese investment, to get the D-Jet to market. As AVweb reported last week, the Canadian government turned down Diamond’s $35 million loan application to finish the development program. In a podcast interview with AVweb, Maurer said the government loan, despite the dire […]

Cirrus Aircraft was not at fault in the accident that killed Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and instructor Tyler Stanger in 2006, a New York court ruled on Tuesday. A six-person jury decided the wrongful-death suit after a four-week trial and three hours of deliberation. “We’re gratified that the jury reached a decision that confirmed what […]