News

A Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Social Security Administration acted improperly when it turned over a pilot’s medical records to the FAA. To receive medical benefits, Stanmore Cooper disclosed his condition (HIV-positive) to Social Security officials, but, for years, did not disclose it while renewing his certificate. Cooper later claimed he feared […]

The NTSB is recommending that Part 121, 135 and 91K operators be required by the FAA to periodically collect and review cockpit voice recorder information, and use that information to check up on the work habits of pilots. Periodic review of this information would “enhance flight safety by assisting operators in detecting and correcting deviations […]

In a special report (PDF) released by the FAA this week, investigators said their review of a series of fatal in-flight accidents involving Zodiac CH601XL and CH650 aircraft “did not indicate a single root cause, but instead implicated the potential combination of several design and operation aspects.” The report says analysis during the special review […]

On March 9 and 10, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) will be honored in several events in Washington, D.C., culminating with the award of the Congressional Gold Medal, and a veterans group in Texas is asking for donations to help pay the travel expenses of those who would like to attend but can’t afford […]

The helicopter market never seems to be as volatile as other sectors of GA and Rolls-Royce’s annual forecast for turbine helicopters seems to bear that out. The civilian market has been down a bit, but the military market has been rock steady, and the resurgence in civilian orders will give manufacturers a boost in the […]

Robinson Helicopters has set the price for its new R66 turbine-powered helicopter at $770,000 and founder Frank Robinson told Rotorhub.com he expects the aircraft’s introduction to help the company recover from a tough year. Speaking at Heli-Expo 2010 in Houston, Robinson said the turbine version of his popular design is “a little bit smoother, a […]

The outboard six feet of the right wing on a Cessna 337 broke off just before the aircraft crashed and killed five people in New Jersey last week. Just what effect that will have on Cessna’s process to initiate an extensive wing inspection program on the aging aircraft isn’t clear at this point but it’s […]

The Nall Report, an annual analysis of general aviation accident data by AOPA’s Air Safety Foundation, found an increase in accidents involving amateur-built aircraft. The statistics from 2008 showed more fatal accidents and fatalities than any year in the past decade, the report says. “The 27 percent lethality rate in these accidents was 10 full […]

Aero Friedrichshafen, Europe’s general aviation show coming up April 8 to 11, will host 450 exhibitors from 25 countries in nine halls, organizers said this week, and the outdoor exhibit space is fully booked. The event showcases all facets of GA flying, from hang gliders to business jets. “With Aero, we’re offering the general aviation […]

A British Boeing 757 returned to land safely in Turin, Italy, last Sunday afternoon, after fuel began to stream from a leak in the right wing shortly after takeoff. Someone on the ground got these photos of the incident, which likely appeared more serious than it was. The crew circled the airport, with fuel gushing […]