ATSB'S NORFOLK ISLAND DITCHING REPORT TO GET SCRUTINY
The Australian captain of a Westwind jet that ditched off the coast of Norfolk Island in 2009 is challenging the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's conclusion that the flight crew's poor planning was the sole cause of the accident. Dominic James, who then worked for Pel-Air, told AVweb in an interview on Saturday that the ATSB's investigation will undergo its own probe before the Australian Senate in early October. Specifically, James said, the ATSB's investigation ignored numerous details that impinged on the information and guidance that he and First Officer Zoe Cupit had available for the flight on Nov. 18, 2009. The Westwind crew was on a medical evacuation mission from Apia, Samoa to Melbourne, a distance of about 2,800 miles, almost all of it over water at night. To make the distance, the flight had a planned fuel stop at Norfolk Island, a remote island 800 miles off the coast of eastern Australia. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: NORFOLK ISLAND DITCHING -- MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
Dom James, the pilot of that Westwind that ditched off Norfolk Island in 2009, is challenging the findings of the the ATSB's report on the accident. After reading the report, it's easy to see why, says Paul Bertorelli on the AVweb Insider blog. Read more and join the conversation. More...

JUMP PLANE ROLLED INVERTED BEFORE FATAL CRASH
A dozen skydivers aboard a Beech 18 jumped for their lives as the aircraft suddenly rolled inverted and ultimately crashed in a residential area of Taylorville, Ill., on Aug. 10, killing the pilot. As we reported on the day of the crash, pilot Brandon Sparrow, 30, of Augusta, Ill., was unable to get the big twin under control and it crashed in the back yard of a home. There were no injuries on the ground or among the skydivers, who told the NTSB they heard the stall horn sound as they prepared to exit the aircraft at 11,000 feet. More...

LANDING CHEROKEE HITS ROW OF PARKED PLANES
Insurance adjusters were busy over the weekend at French Valley Airport in Murrieta, Calif., after a Piper Cherokee crashed into a row of parked aircraft Friday. The pilot of the Cherokee 180 was uninjured but the female passenger in a taxiing airplane that was struck suffered minor injuries in the accident. Up to eight parked aircraft were damaged and from the photos appearing in local newspapers at least some of them appear to be write-offs. "I got a phone call that said, 'You better start shopping for a new airplane because yours is in two pieces,'" Cessna 180 owner Roy Haggard told The Californian. More...

NTSB WANTS 747-8 ENGINES INSPECTED
The NTSB has issued an urgent safety recommendation letter urging the FAA to "act immediately" to order the inspection of 47 new General Electric GEnx-2B engines in service on Boeing 747-8 aircraft because it's afraid of a potential multiple engine failure on the brand-new aircraft. The board issued the letter after an engine failure on a 747-8F during takeoff roll in Shanghai last week. Preliminary information suggests the cause is cracking similar to that found in two GEnx-1B engines used in Boeing 787 aircraft. The 2B model of the engine used in the 747-8 is a little longer but the suspect components are the same. In one of the cases involving the 787 model engine, a fan midshaft crack destroyed a 787 engine on its first ground run at Boeing's factory in Charleston, S.C. Another crack was found in a 787 engine that had only ever been test run. All the 787 engines have been inspected but those on 11 in-service 747 freighters and the remaining three on the Shanghai aircraft have not. More...

FAA SEEKS PILOT ON SUICIDE CONCERNS
The FAA and local authorities were still searching Friday for Michael Sills, a 63-year-old pilot from central Florida, who detectives say may have departed Orlando-Apopka Airport, Tuesday, with suicidal intent. Prior to his disappearance, investigators say Sills had threatened to crash his aircraft, a Piper PA-28-181, into the home of his ex-girlfriend, or another building. Sills' car was found, Tuesday, parked at his home airport, but his Piper Archer was gone. Sill's ex-girlfriend told authorities the last text messages she'd received from Sills came on Tuesday and said, "In plane." And "Calling police is to [sic] late."  More...

AVGAS COALITION PRAISES FAA ACTION
The FAA, responding to the concerns of the General Aviation Avgas Coalition, has announced formation of a new office that will be responsible for providing technical information and guidance related to developments in aviation fuels, including unleaded options. Per the FAA, its new Fuel Program Office will provide "technical expertise and strategic direction in the planning, management, and coordination of activities related to aviation fuels." The Coalition sees formation of the office as an "important step" in creating an "unleaded avgas transition program" that will be able to evaluate fuels and generate data that could form commercial fuel specifications and guide certification efforts. The FAA already has some steps in place. More...

USAF, JOHNS HOPKINS, AND THE BETTER AIRPLANE
The Air Force is creating a new research center led by a team of engineers from Johns Hopkins University to expedite development of a new generation of lightweight, durable materials for use in aircraft and powerplants. The Center of Excellence on Integrated Material Modeling (CEIMM) is supported by a $3 million U.S. Air Force award, to be distributed over three years. It will apply "novel computational and experimental methods to support the next generation of military aircraft." The initiative seeks to apply new techniques that will help shrink the timeline of product development, from proof of concept to implementation. More...

GIANT GERMAN LUFTWAFFE AIRCRAFT WRECK FOUND?
Italian researchers claim (with video) to have found wreckage off the Sardinian coast of a huge Messerschmitt-323 Gigant (Giant), of which some 200 examples were built -- none of which were thought to have survived the war. The Me-323 spanned 180 feet, was driven by six wing-mounted piston engines, weighed 45 tons, could carry 120 fully equipped men and was thought to exist in the modern world only through history books. The wreckage is submerged below 200 feet of seawater and divers have reported to the Telegraph.uk that "it is in good condition -- it is almost intact, with the six engines still all in line." Considering the aircraft's time on location and how this particular aircraft was lost, that report might surprise some people. The video allows you to form your own opinion. More...

SURVEY: DO YOU FLY A DIAMOND DA40?
If so, Aviation Consumer would like to hear from you. For the magazine's next issue, the Used Aircraft Guide will focus on Diamond's popular four-place step-up airplane. We would like to hear about what it's like to fly the DA40 and how much it costs to operate and own -- including insurance. If you have any digital photos you'd like to share, send them along, too. Contact consumereditor@hotmail.com to comment. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 255,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS IN AVIATION: A MEMOIR; CHAPTER 17: THE C-123K, TWO RETIREMENTS AND A NEW CAREER
For his final years with the Air Force, Dick Taylor flew a Fairchild C-123, an aircraft whose parentage included both glider and jet versions. After retiring from the Air Force and then later from Ohio State, Dick began yet another career, consulting for aviation-accident cases. Click here to read the 17th and final chapter. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: CRASHWORTHINESS AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
If manufacturers have a moral obligation to build in crashworthiness, are journalists equally obligated to opine when they fall short? In a mea culpa posted to the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli says the answer is yes. But you read the blog and tell us what you think. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: TIME FLIES
In her latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, editor Mary Grady polishes off her crystal ball for a quick look into the future — and then packs it away to make room for the real thing. Read more and join the conversation. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: TWIN COUNTY AIRPORT (KHLX, HILLSVILLE, VA)

Lots of happy pilots in the skies this week. Nominations for an AVweb "FBO of the Week" ribbon soared over the last ten days or so, and picking a stand-out this week was tough. (We cheated and saved a couple of facilities for future installments.)

Amid stiff competition, Twin County Aviation Services at Twin County Airport (KHLX) in Hillsville, Virginia takes home this week's blue ribbon. AVweb reader John A. Jorgensen had that best of all possible experiences of Twin County -- a stopover so pleasant he'd go back just for fun:

Wonderful service and hospitality! I returned yesterday from delivering a DNR aircraft to Sanford, North Carolina for a FLIR installation/integration. On the way, I ran into the remains of Hurricane Isaac, which did not allow me to continue VFR. Scott Thomas, FBO manager, and his crew met me on the ramp, escorted me into their new facility, shared local weather wisdom, entertained me, provided a courtesy car, and simply made me feel welcome. Scott is a banjo player, and he invited me to their Tuesday evening session at the String Bean in Galax! It was a real treat. I stayed in a wonderful cabin along the New River Trail and had a great rest. Next time through, I am sure that I will not hesitate to stop, simply say "hi!" and to enjoy their Virginia hospitality. It provided a real and special treat.

Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.

AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!

SHORT FINAL

When an air traffic controller asked an aircraft to reduce speed even more than he already had:

Aircraft 1234:
"If I reduce any further, I'll fall out of the sky!"

Controller:
"Roger. Report leaving altitudes on descent."

Ed LeSage
via e-mail

HEARD ANYTHING FUNNY ON THE RADIO?
Heard anything funny, unusual, or downright shocking on the radio lately? If you've been flying any length of time, you're sure to have eavesdropped on a few memorable exchanges. The ones that gave you a chuckle may do the same for your fellow AVweb readers. Share your radio funny with us, and, if we use it in a future "Short Final," we'll send you a sharp-looking AVweb hat to sport around your local airport. No joke. Click here to submit your original, true, and previously unpublished story. More...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.

The AVwebFlash team is:

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Tom Bliss

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Glenn Pew

Contributors
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Karen Lund

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

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