*Gulfstream's G250, the aircraft built to replace the G200 in service, performed it's 1st flight successfully this week in Tel Aviv, Israel. The G250, a super midsize cabin, mid-range business jet, took off from Ben Gurion International Airport at 8:16am, and reached an altitude of 32000ft and a speed of 0.7 mach. Landing gear was retracted during the flight. During the flight, which lasted 3 hours and 21 minutes, the Pilots tested the business jet’s flight-handling qualities and characteristics, and performed initial checks of several aircraft systems. The Cheif test Pilot said that the G250 flight was extremely smooth with no issues. According to Gulfstream, the 1st deliveries of the G250 will begin in 2011.
*This week, Airbus successfully completed the 1st test flight of its new A400M, a military transport plane. The aircrat took off from Seville, Spain, at 10:15am, and landed back at the Airport at 2:00pm, without incident. Airbus says the 1st A400M reached its top speed of 555km/h as planned during the flight, and that the aircraft performed as expected. The majority of the flight, which lasted 45 minutes longer than previously forecast, due to good progress with test activities, was performed at altitudes between 8000ft and 10000ft, but it as also taken up to 18000ft during a pressurization test. The aircraft will now undergo inspection and could take its 2nd test flight as early as next week. The aircraft was originally intended to fly in 2008, however multiple delays have hit the program. Airbus is currently in talks withs several un-named countries about purchasing the A400M.
*The Pilot of a GARUDA INDONESIA Boeing 737 that crashed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2007, killing 21 people, has had his conviction for criminal negligence quashed on appeal to the province's high court. On March 7, Garuda Flight 200 was on Domestic Service from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, with 133 passengers and 7 crew members onboard. The 737 went off the runway, crossed a road, and came to a stop in a nearby field and burst into flames. Of those onboard, 20 passengers and 1 crew member were killed, and scores of other passengers and crew were injured. The cause of the crash was directly related to Pilot Error. The aircraft experienced problems on approach in poor weather, and the Co-Pilot advised the Captain to go-around several times. The Captain, who was Pilot flying, ignored the Co-Pilot and brought the 737 in for landing at an excessive rate of speed. The Captain, Marwoto Komar, was sentenced to 2 years in prison in April after a court heard evidence he ignored 15 automated warnings and brought his plane into land too fast and from a much greater height than normal. In a decision on September 29, that was only made public this week, the high court found that Captain Marwoto's action of negligence was not ''legally and convincingly proven''. ''The defendant's rights, position and status therefore should be restored.'' The judgment means Captain Marwoto can return to flying. He never went to prison as he was released on bail while the appeal was heard. The original decision finding Captain Marwoto guilty of criminal negligence was unusual in that it did not find him at fault for ignoring the warnings or trying to land the plane at excessive speed. Captain Marwoto's lawyer said the high court's decision could not be appealed.
*A TURKISH AIRLINES A340 had to make an emergency return to Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday, December 11. Flight 20, on Intnernational Service from Istanbul to Beijing, China, could not retract its landing gear after takeoff. The crew landed back at Istanbul without incident, and the aircraft was removed from service for repairs. According to media reports, passengers onboard Flight 20 said that the gear was causing the aircraft to vibrate. They said that the crew attempted to raise the gear 4 times, without success, before they returned to Istanbul.
*An AMERICAN EAGLE ERJ135 had to make an emergency landing due to flaps problems, on December 10. The same aircraft, N712AE, has experienced a similar problem just a few days prior. On December 5, AE Flight 4541 was on Domestic Service from New York La Guardia to Montreal, Canada, with 30 passengers and crew onboard. The crew aborted their 1st approach due to problems with the flaps. The crew requested to land on the longest runway without flaps, and the ERJ did landed on runway 24R without incident. The aircraft was later inspected and repaired, and returned to service. On Thursday, December 10, the ERJ was on International Service from La Guardia to Toronto, Canada, with 24 passengers and crew onboard. On approach, the crew declared an emergency reporting problems with its flaps. The crew did land on their 2nd approach without incident, at a higher than normal speed. According to media reports, the ERJ was then ferried to Ohio for repairs, and has since been returned to service.
*A NORTHWEST AIRLINES DC9 was damaged on landing at Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota, on December 9. Flight 7012 was on Domestic Service from Charlotte, North Carolina, to MSP, was on approach to runway 30R and had been cleared to land. Prior to landing, ATC advised the crew that "winds 340 at 22 gusts 37, wind shear all the way down, good braking". During landing, one of the wing tips struck the runway, but the crew was able to roll out the aircraft without incident. According to the FAA, which is investigating, the DC9 was damaged, the extent of which is not yet fully known.
*A WESTJET Boeing 737 experienced a loss of seperation on December 3. Flight 632 was on Domestic Service from Kelowna to Toronto, Canada, with 99 passengers and crew onboard, when the incident took place. On takeoff, Flight 632 was instructed to take a right hand turn for seperation from other traffic, but was not told about a private Cessna which was climbing S, just W of the Kelowna Airport. The Westjet crew received a TCAS Alert, and leveled off at 7300 feet until they were clear of conflict. The aircraft continued on to Toronto where it landed without incident. According to the Canadian TSB, which is investigating, the minimum seperation between the 2 aircraft was 0.7 miles laterally and 200 feet vertically.
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