EMBRAER Model ERJ 170 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21345; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-005-AD; Amendment 39-14266; AD 2005-19-01] -- requires inspecting the hydraulic pressure tubes at the outlet of the engine-driven hydraulic pumps to determine the part and serial numbers; and replacing hydraulic pressure tubes having certain serial numbers with new hydraulic pressure tubes. This AD results from failure of a hydraulic system due to leakage of hydraulic fluid from a crack in the pipe coming from the pressure side of the engine-driven pump.
NASA's $104 billion plan to put astronauts back on the moon by 2018 and go on to Mars after that may have ramifications for its aeronautics program, according to Robert S. Walker, a former Pennsylvania Republican congressman who chaired the House Science Committee. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin unveiled the plan Sept. 19, saying it wouldn't take money from aeronautics and science budgets.
DIRECTORS of Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. have changed the company's top management. Carl Chen, who had been president and CEO since taking over from the previous management team three years ago (BA, Sept. 23, 2002/137), now holds the title of president. Ching Chiang Kuo is the new chairman and CEO of the company, which is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas and is nearing FAA certification of the SJ30-2 business jet (BA, July 25/31).
HOUSE BILL TO PROTECT KATRINA VOLUNTEERS FROM LIABILITY -- The House this month approved a bill designed to protect volunteers who help Hurricane Katrina victims from being liable for injuries that occur during relief operations.
HONEYWELL, Exxon/Mobil and Signature Flight Support have notified NBAA that they also plan to curtail social events at this year's rescheduled convention in Orlando, and use the money saved for relief efforts. Many other companies are going forward with their hospitality events, including Cessna Aircraft. A Cessna spokesman noted that Textron, Cessna's parent company, has established two different hurricane relief programs, with Textron pledging to match the donations of its employees.
ECLIPSE AVIATION officials believe it will take about four weeks of work to repair the damage to one of its test aircraft that was damaged in a gear-up landing (BA, Sept. 12/113). The company expects the aircraft to resume flight test missions in mid- to late October.
The Board of Commissioners for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week approved the installation of arrestor beds comprising aerated cement blocks to help prevent runway overruns by aircraft at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey. Developed by the Port Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration, the Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) is designed to crumble under the weight of an aircraft to stop it in the event of a runway overrun, the Port Authority said.
The Mitsubishi MU-2 turboprop, already undergoing a certification review by FAA because of its poor safety record, faced another challenge last week after another one of the aircraft crashed shortly after departure from a Tennessee airport.
MERCURY AIR GROUP filed an amended and restated Certificate of Incorporation with the State of Delaware, a move designed to permit the company to consummate a 1-for-501 reverse split of the company's common stock, immediately followed by a 501-for-1 forward split of the company's common stock. Stockholders owning fewer than 501 shares will be cashed out, receiving $4 per share in cash for their stock.
BAE Model ATP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20404; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-018-AD; Amendment 39-14268; AD 2005-19-03] -- supersedes an existing AD, which requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate life limits for certain items and inspections to detect fatigue cracking in certain structures.
CLR PHOTONICS installed its WindTracer windshear detection system at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas as part of a demonstration and evaluation program for the Federal Aviation Administration. The system is designed to complement the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar at McCarran and serve as a less expensive alternative to Low Level Windshear Alert System anemometer towers.
THREE business aviation groups Friday appealed to Treasury Secretary John Snow to delay the implementation of a mandate to tax certain aviation jet fuel at the highway diesel fuel rate. The tax change is slated to take effect Oct. 1 (BA, Sept. 19/121).
WHILE THE MANDATE allows for a refund of the difference between the highway and aviation taxes when the aviation jet fuel is used for aviation purposes, only registered "ultimate vendors" may seek the refund, according to the H.R.3 measure. The provision, however, does not clarify what constitutes an ultimate vendor, whether the fixed-base operator or the fuel wholesaler. Few FBOs are registered as an ultimate vendor, and the registration process has been estimated to take between 30 and 90 days.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 42-500 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20406; Directorate Identifier 2002-NM-242-AD; Amendment 39-14270; AD 2005-19-05] -- requires inspecting for correct installation of the fastener that attaches the ground braids on the elevator, modifying the forward bonded assembly of the elevator control rod, and corrective action if necessary.
HONEYWELL EYES WIRELESS SYSTEM TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SUPPORT - Honeywell Aerospace is evaluating a technology used in the automotive and industrial markets that the company hopes will substantially strengthen its customer support capabilities. Honeywell is developing a Telematics sensor that can be imbedded in an aircraft's electronic components and transfer real-time operational information to Honeywell facilities once the aircraft has landed.
AOPA PROTESTS FAA APPROACH TO MU-2B REVIEW - The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association objected to the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to conduct a certification review of the Mitsubishi MU-2B turboprop, saying the accident history of the aging MU-2B turboprop fleet suggests that problems stem more from operational and training shortcomings than from the aircraft's airworthiness.
LOCKHEED MARTIN TOLD TO FIX AERIAL COMMON SENSOR PROGRAM - The U.S. Army has halted work on the troubled Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) development program and told prime contractor Lockheed Martin to come up with a fix-it plan in 60 days. The Army announced its decision late Sept. 14 after reviewing the ACS design with Lockheed Martin and concluding that "the weight of the ACS payload and required airframe modifications exceed the structural limits of Lockheed Martin's selected aircraft," the Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet.
NATA'S COYNE ASKS CONGRESS TO STEP IN ON SPILL PREVENTION REGS - National Air Transportation Association President James Coyne last week sent a letter to all 535 members of Congress urging them to block enforcement of Environmental Protection Agency spill protection rules that call for secondary containment for fuel trucks. Coyne told Congress that the rules would deal aviation businesses "a significant blow at a time when they can least afford it." Coyne added that the physical requirements of the rule would reduce safety and security.
BAE Jetstream Model 4101 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22290; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-129-AD] - proposes to require modifying the wiring of the starter-generator terminal block. This proposed AD results from a report of total electrical failure just as the airplane landed. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent total electrical failure and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane. This proposed AD would affect about 57 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $37,050, or $650 per airplane. Send any comments by Oct.
