"PILOT UNRESPONSIVENESS" CITED IN STEVENS CRASH
The NTSB says it can't be sure, but it seems likely that something bad happened to the pilot of the turbine Otter that crashed in Alaska last Aug. 9, killing Sen. Ted Stevens and four others. It's not often that NTSB investigators fail to agree on the probable cause of an accident, but on Tuesday the board wrapped up its investigation of the crash by concluding that the evidence available is inadequate to determine what really happened. The facts available fail to support any single theory above others, NTSB chairman Deborah Hersmann said. "We believe something happened in that cockpit," she told reporters after the meeting. The pilot, Theron "Terry" Smith, had been grounded for two years after a stroke, but had regained his certificate in 2008. The board said Smith, who died in the crash, may have suffered another stroke or seizure in the last moments of the flight, or might have been stressed by the recent death of his son-in-law. A front-seat passenger was asleep at the time of the crash, and the three other survivors could not recall anything unusual that might explain what happened. More...

D-JET FINANCING ALTERNATIVES EXPLORED
Diamond Aircraft President Peter Maurer says the company isn't ruling out anything, including Chinese investment, to get the D-Jet to market. As AVweb reported last week, the Canadian government turned down Diamond's $35 million loan application to finish the development program. In a podcast interview with AVwebpodcast interview with AVweb, Maurer said the government loan, despite the dire scenarios portrayed by the Ontario media, was a "long shot" and the company has been working on other potential funding solutions throughout the politically charged talks with the government. Although Chinese involvement is a possibility, it's not the only one and Maurer said Diamond didn't start that discussion. "We've never talked about it. We've been asked about it a lot, though," he said. More...

PODCAST: DIAMOND HAS OTHER INVESTMENT IDEAS
Although the failed application for $35 million from the Canadian government was portrayed in some circles as a doomsday blow to Diamond Aircraft and the D-Jet program, Diamond President Peter Maurer says there are other funding options in the works. And yes, he told AVweb's Russ Niles, China may be part of the mix.

This podcast is brought to you by Bose Corporation. More...

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT EYES CHINA
Hawker Beechcraft is the latest to announce it's considering building aircraft in China. CEO Bill Boisture told Bloomberg the company has been negotiating with Chinese officials about a technology transfer in exchange for greater access to the Chinese market, which is expected to grow rapidly with the relaxation of airspace regulations. Hawker Beech could potentially get 20 percent of its future business from China, Boisture said. More...

NIGERIA LUCRATIVE FOR BIZJET COMPANIES
As the business jet industry expands geographically, if not economically, companies are finding well-heeled customers all over the world and oil-rich Nigeria is among the newest targets for the well-traveled sales leaders of the major airframers. According to the Daily Independent at least six high-end business jets have been sold to Nigerian nationals in the last year. The new airplane owners, all of them billionaires, took delivery, collectively, of about $225 million worth of aircraft. More...

JURY CLEARS CIRRUS IN LIDLE CRASH
Cirrus Aircraft was not at fault in the accident that killed Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and instructor Tyler Stanger in 2006, a New York court ruled on Tuesday. A six-person jury decided the wrongful-death suit after a four-week trial and three hours of deliberation. "We're gratified that the jury reached a decision that confirmed what the National Transportation Safety Board found and what we have always believed: the SR20 did not cause this accident," said Bill King, Cirrus vice president of business administration, shortly after the verdict was announced. "We very much appreciate the hard work of the jury and the court in this matter. Our hearts are with the Lidle and Stanger families who are still grieving." Attorneys had asked the court to award $40 million to Lidle's survivors and $3.5 million to Stanger's family, alleging that jammed flight controls caused the accident. More...

WSJ REVEALS 'HIDDEN WORLD' OF BIZJETS
In a page-one story published over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported on the use of private jets as documented by FAA flight records obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests. The FAA released data from 2007 through 2010, including details of privately operated flights that are protected under the BARR program (Blocked Aircraft Registration Request). Once reporters had aircraft registration numbers, they identified owners via the FAA's online database. About one-third of the private-jet trips were to resort destinations such as Aspen and Palm Beach, the Journal said. The National Business Aviation Association wrote in a letter to the Journal that companies need to block their flight data for competitive and security reasons. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: DROPPING THE THIRD CLASS MEDICAL — GOOD IDEA?
Dropping the Third Class medical is an idea whose time may have come, says Paul Bertorelli — but in his latest post to the AVweb Insider blog he reminds us that it will have significant consequences for the LSA market. Read more and join the conversation. More...

AVWEB INSIDER BLOG: SKY KING, WHERE ARE YOU?
International Learn to Fly Day reaches out to the general population and provides plenty of information on aviation — but inspiration is a lot harder to come by. On the AVweb Insider blog, Mary Grady wonders what fills the adventure-shaped hole in the heart of today's prospective pilots. Read more and join the conversation. More...

DAVIS TO TAC AIR

Matt Davis

Matt Davis is TAC Air's new Director of Business Development. He was previously VP of aviation marketing for FlightAware.
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RAMSAY JOINS COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT SALES

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay has been appointed the Piper Aircraft program manager for the Northeast for Columbia Aircraft Sales. He has extensive experience in aircraft sales.
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WHO'S WHERE? YOU TELL US
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference, too. More...

VIDEO: 100 YEARS OF NAVAL AVIATION — ERIK HILDEBRANDT'S 'FLY NAVY'
No one does aviation quite like the Navy, and carriers are only half of the story. In this vodcast, author/photographer Erik Hildebrandt talks about his experiences in shooting and compiling an impressive history of a century of naval aviation. More...

VIDEO: SIMULATOR TRAINING FOR GA WITH 'IFR' MAGAZINE
Come ride along on some simulator training in a Cirrus SR22 to see the kinds of things you can do better in the box than in the real world. We'll also give you some tips for getting the most out of your simulator time. 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...

MEET THE AVWEBBIZ TEAM

AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

The AVwebBiz team is:

Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

Webmaster
Scott Simmons

Contributors
Jeff van West

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