AUSTRALIAN SENATE: NORFOLK ISLAND CRASH INVESTIGATION COULD LEAD TO CRIMINAL PROBE
In a scathingly critical report (PDF) of Australian safety investigators and regulators, the Australian Senate last week found that an investigation into the 2009 ditching of a medical evacuation flight off Norfolk Island was so incompetently handled that it could be referred to authorities for criminal prosecution. The Senate investigation, which began last September, found that during the crash investigation, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority failed to provide the Australian Transport Safety Board with critical documents and findings concerning the Pel-Air ditching. That information would have revealed, according to the Senate probe, that CASA knew of ongoing systemic shortcomings in Pel-Air's operation that directly contributed to the accident. CASA's action, says the Senate report, may have violated Australia's Transport Safety Investigations Act. "It could be seen as a breach of the Transport Safety Act in terms of obstructing an investigation," said Sen. David Fawcett. More...

BA AIRBUS A319 ENGINE FIRE
A British Airways Airbus A319 with 80 aboard threw flames from its right engine shortly after departure from Heathrow, Friday, and returned safely, missing cowl components from both engines. The jet, Oslo-bound Flight BA762, departed at 8:16 a.m. and suffered "an engine technical fault" according to an early statement from the carrier. It returned to land less than 30 minutes later. Witnesses and passengers told reporters they heard at least one, and possibly two, loud bangs and saw flames come from the right engine. Photos and video of the jet in the air and on the ground appear to confirm smoke from the right engine and loss of cowling components on both engines. Video after the jump. More...

CIRRUS DEPLOYS CHUTE TRAINING
Cirrus says it has made pilot safety its new top priority with a program designed to ensure the pilots of its aircraft know how, and perhaps more importantly when, to use the built-in safety features, including the parachute. In announcing Cirrus Approach, CEO Dale Klapmeier said the Cirrus safety record is "on par" with other designs even though Cirrus aircraft have a host of safety features, like automatic levelers and flight envelope detection and overrides, plus the chute, meaning an average safety rating "is not acceptable to us." He said the Cirrus Approach aims to change that. "...If pilots do not utilize these features or are not trained properly on how to use them, then these safety devices are not as effective as they could be," Klapmeier said. "Cirrus Approach is our new commitment to making Cirrus pilots safer." More...

ANGEL FLIGHT NE AIRCRAFT CRASHES
A Piper PA-34 Seneca being flown for Angel Flight Northeast crashed in Garoga, N.Y., killing at least two of the occupants and likely the third. The aircraft took off from Hanscom Field in Bedford, Mass., bound for Rome, N.Y., and crashed about 60 miles from its destination. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft, minus a wing, drop into a reservoir next to a campground crowded for the long weekend. Two bodies were recovered and the third was believed to be trapped inside. Angel Flight Northeast confirmed the crash. "Angel Flight NE staff and volunteers are tremendously saddened by this tragedy and we all offer our thoughts and prayers to the families of those affected," said Larry Camerlin, the group's founder and president, in a statement. More...

121 UNINJURED IN 707 CRASH
A Brazilian Air Force Boeing 707 went off the runway on its takeoff roll at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Haiti Sunday but none of the 121 people onboard was injured. One of the engines reportedly caught fire and the aircraft left the runway. The aircraft was totalled. Details are sketchy but the airport was closed for a time and some flights were delayed. More...

'MOST AFFORDABLE' LSA HEADED TO MARKET
A Utah company says it will introduce the "most affordable" glass-equipped ready-to-fly LSA at AirVenture Oshkosh this year. The SkyCraft SD-1 Minisport is a Czech design that zips its single occupant at 118 mph at 1.8 gph on a 50-horsepower Hirth engine. SkyCraft says the little LSA costs $12 an hour to fly, including the overhaul of the Hirth (1,000-hour TBO). The kit has been available for some time at around $21,000, including engine. The ready-built model will be a hair under $55,000. More...

VIRGIN GALACTIC PLANS 2013 SPACE FLIGHT
The SpaceShipTwo space tourism vehicle operated by Virgin Galactic is expected to fly into space this year during testing with commercial operations to commence "not too long after," the company said Tuesday. Virgin Galactic is finalizing customer options and says there will be different price ranges for different experiences. Some 580 customers ranging in age from 18 to more than 90 years of age have given the company more than $70 million in deposits for future flights. While Virgin Galactic seems to be on pace to become the first enterprise to offer a space tourism service, XCOR may not be far behind and aims to be far more affordable. More...

WARTHOG CLIPS CABLES IN MISSOURI
One of two A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" close ground support attack jets Wednesday downed two protective static cables above power lines that cross Stockton Lake, Missouri, the Air Force Reserve has confirmed. Neither pilot was injured and both jets returned safely to the base. The single-seat twin-engine jets were operated by the Reserve's 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base. A witness told local KY3 news that the lead jet "went underneath the power lines." The Air Force says the second jet cut through the two static cables with its wing. The aircraft were flying a low altitude navigational training mission at the time and the pilot of the strike aircraft has been removed from flight duty pending the results of an investigation. Damage to the aircraft was reportedly not severe. Now other aircraft may be required to fix the damage. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: A SPACE FLIGHT VETERAN LOOKS AT VIRGIN GALACTIC
Virgin Galactic is moving rapidly forward to providing commercial service to space. On the AVweb Insider blog, veteran space shuttle flight director and Kitplanes editor Paul Dye offers some insights on the program, including judging the risk. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: IN SEARCH OF AIRBORNE CONNECTION
It's been clear for a long time that the pilot population is in decline, but the reasons why and the ways to change the trajectory are less clear. In her latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Mary Grady points to the recent wave of efforts focused on community-building -- but is this the solution everyone's been waiting for? Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVMAIL: MAY 27, 2013

Letter of the Week: Buyer Beware

Regarding the story about pre-purchase inspections:

We bought a Cessna 172 a few years ago. Our guy was forgiven for not noticing the sluggish performance of the airplane since he flew a PA-32-300 down to Gainesville, GA before checking the 172N out. Back at our home base, we got steady complaints about the aircraft performance since our other C-172M was performing much better. Mechanics looked at everything imaginable until, finally, a borescope inspection revealed that during the last overhaul the cam was installed one tooth off, which caused the engine to perform as though it was firing after top dead center.

During the teardown to correct that problem, it was discovered that a gasket that was clearly marked "this side out" was installed backwards. A hole allowing oil flow to the fuel pump area was blocked, and oil pressure had blown a hole in the gasket, allowing some lubrication. This engine had been overhauled by a shop that was no longer in business, but the mechanic who had signed off on the job was working at another shop in the area.

Should we have reported the problem to the FAA? That was debated, and the idea dropped. Just because a mechanic has experience and a certificate doesn't mean he does good work.

Dennis English

Click here to read the rest of this week's letters.

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...

SURVEY: HAVE YOU HAD ENGINE SHOP SURGERY?
The engine shop and overhaul market has changed dramatically in the past few years. Aviation Consumer magazine wants to know about your engine overhaul experience and the experience you had dealing with the shop. We'd appreciate you taking a couple of minutes to answer these questions. Click here to take the survey. More...

VIDEO: PILATUS UNVEILS PC-24 TWINJET
At the European Business Aircraft Conference & Exhibition in Geneva this week, Pilatus unveiled its design for a new twin-engine jet that can operate from short and unpaved runways. More...

FBO OF THE WEEK: COPECA JET CENTER (TJBQ, AGUADILLA, PUERTO RICO)

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Copeca Jet Center at Rafael Hernandez Airport (TJBQ) in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

AVweb reader Bruce Huester told us about the FBO:

Copeca Jet Center is a well-run, family-owned and operated FBO on the northwest end of Puerto Rico. We have stopped there several times for fuel and customs. The customs folks are friendly, courteous, and quick! We park right outside the customs office and are typically processed in less than ten minutes. We had a pressurization issue after departure, and when we returned, Copeca was very helpful with lining up a mechanic, arranging accommodations, and providing transportation. I highly recommend Copeca for a tech stop or overnight.

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

I heard the following a few days ago over eastern Kentucky:

Flagship 123:
"Indy Center, Flagship 123 climbing through 12,000."

Indy Center:
"Flagship 123, roger. What was your assigned heading?"

Flagship 123:
"370."

Indy Center:
"370?!"

Flagship 123:
"370."

Indy Center:
"O.K. Continue present heading."

Dennis Mahan
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.

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Avionics Editor
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