Radar Vector - Civil Aviation News

Second 787 to fly today

2009-12-22T11:27:00.001+08:00

Boeing hopes to get its second 787 airborne today at 8:45 a.m.

Check pilot pulls circuit breaker during flight, causing vital instruments to fail

2009-12-03T07:52:00.002+08:00

A check pilot on board a Jet Airways flight from New Delhi to Mumbai pulled a circuit breaker causing the autopilot to tripped and the flight director to vanish.

While the captain managed to land the aircraft safely, the situation could turn out disastrous as the Boeing aircraft descended faster than expected.

FAA mandates software fix for Embraer 170 jets

2009-11-24T15:37:00.001+08:00

The FAA has mandated that electronic engine-control software for Embraer 170 jets be fixed to prevent sudden lost of thrust.

EADS still struggling with A380 program

2009-11-17T18:16:00.001+08:00

EADS is still struggling with the A380 program and predicted there will be additional charges.

Syrian Arab Airlines in talks to buy 50 Airbus airliners

2009-11-13T17:22:00.000+08:00

Bloomberg reports that Airbus is still in talks with Syria's state-run carrier, Syrian Arab Airlines for up to 50 airliners.

"We are discussing it with them, the negotiations are ongoing," Habib Fekih, Airbus’s president for the Middle East, said in a telephone interview.

Africa world's most dangerous place to fly

2009-11-09T08:41:00.000+08:00

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

2009-11-06T12:45:00.000+08:00

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

2009-11-05T11:00:00.001+08:00

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

2009-11-02T09:49:00.002+08:00

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

2009-11-02T09:46:00.002+08:00

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

2009-10-30T10:07:00.000+08:00

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

2009-10-14T11:51:00.000+08:00

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

2009-10-12T10:10:00.002+08:00

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

2009-10-12T10:03:00.000+08:00

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

2009-09-30T10:11:00.001+08:00

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

2009-09-24T11:09:00.002+08:00

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

2009-09-14T16:38:00.002+08:00

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

2009-09-11T10:53:00.001+08:00

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

2009-09-07T11:05:00.001+08:00

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

2009-09-04T10:00:00.002+08:00

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

2009-08-27T13:48:00.001+08:00

"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

2009-08-27T13:44:00.002+08:00

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

2009-08-25T19:43:00.001+08:00

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

2009-08-25T10:06:00.001+08:00

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

2009-08-13T10:27:00.002+08:00

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.