Language included in the federal homeland security funding bill encourages the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to continue moving forward on expanding the TSA Access Certificate (TSAAC), a voluntary general aviation security program now being tested by 24 business aviation operators at three New York-area general aviation airports. In December, the TSA endorsed TSAAC and committed to work with the industry to expand the program.
Air safety
October 11, 2006 - 5:20am
The FAA said that after reassessing the civil aviation authority of Ghana, the agency concluded that the African country does not have an “adequate infrastructure” to meet international safety standards. These standards are developed around airline operations and airport facilities but can also be applicable to business aircraft operators.
October 11, 2006 - 5:06am
General aviation pilots who report weather encounters to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) between April and September might receive a follow-up request to participate in a voluntary written survey. ASRS officials will use the survey to generate a special study to gain data for developing preventive measures.
October 10, 2006 - 9:31am
– The Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration finally surrendered to Congressional pressure and offered a plan to open Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to general aviation traffic.
October 10, 2006 - 7:42am
Duncan Aviation’s full-service facility in Lincoln, Neb., has won DesignatedAlteration Station (DAS) authorization from the FAA. The authorization allows the facility to approve STCs on behalf of the FAA, significantly reducing the timerequired to complete new STCs. Duncan’s Battle Creek, Mich. facility has had DAS status for several years.
October 10, 2006 - 7:10am
An extensive investigation by a team from the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), with input from the French BEA, has failed to arrive at a positive cause for the crash of TBM 700 N30LT on Dec. 6, 2003, at England’s Oxford Airport. The accident killed the pilot and his two passengers.
October 10, 2006 - 6:23am
Mitsubishi MU-2, Bunell, Fla., Aug. 26, 2006–MU-2 N171MA, registered to Drug and Laboratory Disposal of Plainwell, Mich., was on a flight to Grand Harbor, the Bahamas, departing Battle Creek, Mich., with a fuel stop in Bloomington, Ind.
October 9, 2006 - 1:36pm
Ibis Aerospace said FAA and EASA certification of its Ae270 turboprop single was pending at press time. The Prague, Czech Republic-based company recently completed the flight-test regime as required by the Czech Aviation Authority (CAA), making the final certification test flight on May 10. Additionally, the manufacturer has delivered all of the required reports, which are being reviewed jointly by the CAA and FAA.
October 9, 2006 - 1:10pm
Flight operations are fertile grounds for fatigue, sleep deficit and circadian disruption, and these physiological factors can result in decreased flight-deck performance and alertness–in other words ingredients for an accident.
October 9, 2006 - 1:08pm
Well behind many other regions, and more than 10 years after initial proposals, Europe is about to rule on proposed commercial single-turbine-engine flights at night or in instrument meteorological conditions (SEIMC operations, roughly equivalent to flights under U.S.
