EMBRAER Model EMB-120 series airplanes (Docket No. 95-NM-192-AD; Amdt. 39-9906; AD 97-02-21) - requires repetitive inspections for cracks in the wing rib-to-skin support brackets (shear clips), and replacement of cracked brackets with new or serviceable brackets. This amendment also requires the eventual replacement of certain brackets with new brackets, which terminates the requirement for the inspections. This amendment is prompted by reports of cracks in certain wing rib-to-skin support brackets in both the lower and upper skin of the wings.
MIKE HARDEN joined Western Aircraft as parts sales representative. Harden, who has both fixed-base operation and Cessna parts sales experience, most recently worked at Cooper Aviation.
DAVE GORDON, Jefferson County, Colo. Airport manager, was appointed to a three-year term on the Colorado Aeronautics Board. Gordon also was appointed to the National Board of Examiners for the American Association of Airport Executives and to a term as secretary/treasurer for the Northwest Chapter of AAAE.
MOBIL OIL HONG KONG LTD. signed a 10-year agreement with the Airport Authority Hong Kong to provide airside fueling services at Chek Lap Kok airport. Mobil will develop three airside filling stations to provide fuel for vehicles and equipment in the airport restricted area. The stations will operate 24 hours a day. Airport Authority officials estimated that Mobil would invest about $15 million (HK) in the three stations. Mobil operates 40 service stations in Hong Kong and has supplied fuels and lubricants at the Chek Lap Kok construction site since 1992.
COLLINS GENERAL AVIATION DIVISION of Rockwell Avionics&Communications received ISO 9001 quality system certification. The certification, which extends for three years, follows an audit of Collins' facilities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Melbourne, Fla.
A GTE Corp. executive, his wife and three crewmembers were killed Wednesday when their Model 1124 Westwind aircraft crashed on approach to Guatemala City, Guatemala. GTE said Bruce E. Haddad, senior vice president-international operations, and his wife, Dorothy, were killed. Insurance industry sources said the aircraft was registered to a Venezuelan operator. The flight departed Argentina, made a stop in Lima, Peru and was reported to be making a refueling stop in Guatemala when it crashed on approach at about 4:30 a.m.
RICHARD ALLEN was appointed human resources manager for Audio International. Allen has more than 20 years of human resource management experience, holding positions with AmTran Corp., Vickers, Inc. and American Greetings Corp.
CHRYSLER PENTASTAR AVIATION won supplemental type certification for installation of a Flight Visions FV-2000 Head-Up Display in a Gulfstream III operated by a New England telecommunications company.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION depiction of the continuing trend of declining accidents over the past 15 years is shown in a chart on Page 92. The total accident trend line, shown as a dark, solid line, corresponds with the accident numbers in the left column. The fatal accident trend line, shown as a gray, dotted line, corresponds with the right column. GAMA officials said the chart was based on preliminary accident data.
DASSAULT FALCON JET named Larry Dean regional sales manager for the far Western U.S. Dean, who temporarily will work out of Dassault Falcon Jet's headquarters in Teterboro, N.J. until a regional office site is selected, will be responsible for sales in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska. He joined the company in 1981 as a material analyst trainee and has been promoted to positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Dean was inside sales representative for the Western region.
SULLIVAN HIGDON&SINK, the Wichita-based advertising and public relations firm, was named agency of record for Cessna Aircraft Company's single- engine, piston-powered line of aircraft. SHS already handles marketing and advertising for Cessna's Citation business jets and Caravan utility turboprops.
Galaxy Aerospace named several members of its new top management team last week, including, as expected, Roger Sperry, 51, as executive vice president-sales and marketing (BA, Feb. 10/57). Sperry, who had been senior vice president-sales and marketing for Learjet, Inc., is one of several Learjet veterans recruited by Brian Barents, president and chief executive of Galaxy, and the former president of Wichita-based Learjet (BA, Jan. 29, 1996/41).
NEW PIPER Model PA-31T2 airplanes (Docket No. 95-CE-21-AD; Amdt. 39- 9885; AD 97-02-01) - requires, for Model PA-31T2 airplanes that have a Parker Hannifin Wheel and Brake Conversion Kit 199-111 installed in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate SA599GL, rerouting of the landing gear emergency extension line. This AD results from three incidents of the brake cylinder contacting the landing gear emergency extension air line on both wheel wells.
THE NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT, INC. selected the PMA 6000 audio selector panel for its 1997 model Warrior III, Archer III, Arrow, Seminole, Sarataga II HP, Seneca V and Malibu Mirage, according to the avionics manufacturer, PS Engineering of Lenoir City, Tenn. "We are pleased that Piper recognizes our innovative approach to avionics," said Mark Scheuer, president of PS Engineering.
Federal Aviation Administration is considering ordering replacement of the fan guards on 414 General Electric CF700 engines powering Falcon 20 and Sabreliner NA265 aircraft in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that could cost more than $21 million. FAA said the proposal stems from a report of uncontained fan blades on a CF700 turbofan powering a Falcon 20 business jet. During takeoff, the Falcon encountered a flock of birds. The bird strike caused the loss of enough fan blades to unload the aft fan and allow the core rotor to overspeed the fan disk.
JIM DEGGENDORF was named director of product support for Audio International. Deggendorf, who has 27 years aerospace industry experience, most recently was manager of product support and customer service for Airshow. He also was an avionics analysis section supervisor with the U.S. Air Force.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION will delay until January implementation of airspace and commercial air tour route changes over Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), the agency said late Friday. Other parts of recently adopted restrictions on air tour flights at GCNP, however, will be implemented as planned on May 1 (BA, Feb. 17/69).
WALTER SLAZYK was named senior manager, technical operations for SimuFlite Training International. Slazyk has served with SimuFlite since 1980, most recently as manager of SimuFlite's Hercules Flight Training Center in Marietta, Ga. In his new position, Slazyk will oversee simulator maintenance activities on SimuFlite's 17 full flight business jet simulators as well as simulator parts inventory.
CHUCK CURRY was named general manager for Audio International. Curry previously has served as technician/installer, avionics manager and director of service operations for K-C Aviation. He also spent 10 years in U.S. Army Aviation electronic countermeasures and research and development.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT named James Lapointe vice president-supply management. Lapointe joined Raytheon Aircraft's parent company in 1983 in the Missile Systems Division. Most recently, he was manager of production subcontract procurement for Raytheon Electronic Systems Division in Andover, Mass., where he also over-saw procurement activities for Raytheon E-Systems in Goleta, Calif.
Allison Engine Company has opened a 24-hour, seven-day customer call center for inquiries. The Allison Access Center has so far received more than 1,000 inquiries, according to vice president of customer support Jim Leach. The center is staffed to support Model 250 and T56/501D product- related inquiries, including parts ordering, with additional product lines scheduled to be added later this year. The center can be contacted at (317) 230-6400; (317) 230-4243 fax.
Overhaul specialist Greenwich Air Services Inc. (GASI) is making its biggest deal yet, agreeing to swallow market-share dominant UNC Inc. in a transaction estimated to be worth at least $322 million. "We were not for sale. We were not out looking for a buyer," UNC Chairman Dan Colussy explained in a telephone interview. "But when someone comes in and says we're going to give you a 40 percent premium on your stock...you don't have a whole lot of choice."
PRATT&WHITNEY JFTD12A series and T73 series turboshaft engines (Docket No. 94-ANE-49) - requires initial and repetitive fluorescent penetrant inspections (FPI) of compressor hubs, disks, spacers and bolted on (rotating) airseals for cracks, and replacement, if necessary, with serviceable parts. FAA said the AD was prompted by extensive compressor rotor part cracking, adding that the actions specified are intended to prevent disk rupture, an uncontained engine failure and possible damage to the aircraft. The AD is effective April 4.
JENNA KIMBERLIN joined the National Association of State Aviation Officials in Silver Spring, Md. as director of communications. A graduate of New York University, Kimberlin was formerly with Women in Aviation and the International Women's Air&Space Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
LYNN SORACCO was named a district manager for CIT Group/Industrial Financing. Soracco had been an account executive with GE Capital Corp., in Atlanta, Ga., and will continue to be based in that city for CIT Group.
