Sunday, February 18, 2024

NTSB: Engine trouble caused emergency landing on Virginia highway

The National Transportation Safety (NTSB) released a preliminary report recently detailing the emergency landing of a single-engine Cessna aircraft on a Virginia highway last month.

On Jan. 19, a single-engine Cessna 208B (tail number N1983X), performed an emergency landing soon after departing Washington Dulles International Airport.

Flight 246, operated by Southern Airways Express, from Washington Dulles International Airport to Lancaster Airport in Pennsylvania departed from runway 30.

During the initial climb after takeoff, about 600 feet above ground level, the flight crew noticed that the standby power light in the cockpit illuminated. Shortly after that, a sudden, shattering noise and vibrations came from the engine area.

The pilot instructed the copilot to declare an emergency and initiate procedures to return to Washington Dulles. During the turnback, it became evident that the engine was unresponsive, and the airplane was rapidly losing altitude. The pilot decided to land the airplane on Highway 606, near the perimeter of Washington Dulles.

During the landing, the airplane touched down on the paved surface of the road and collided with a steel guardrail before coming to a stop. The flight crew secured the airplane, and the crew and passengers were met by first responders.

The aircraft was later disassembled and transported to a Southern Airways Express maintenance facility at Lancaster.

The NTSB continues to investigate the accident.

Friday, February 2, 2024

Town Hall meeting scheduled as proposed Fairfax County casino bill stalls in Richmond

Virginia Senators, Delegates, and local Fairfax County supervisors will meet in McLean on Saturday to hold a Town Hall meeting to field comments and concerns over a proposed casino for the area.

Virginia lawmakers recently introduced Senate Bill 675 (SB 675) that outlines plans for Fairfax County to be eligible to host a casino.

Senator Jennifer Boysko, along with Delegate Rip Sullivan and Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, will participate in the Town Hall meeting on Saturday at McLean High School.

SB 675 says the casino would be located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, within two miles of a major shopping destination, and outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway.

A final vote on SB 675 and a voter referendum to approve the casino won't happen anytime soon after the Virginia Senate Subcommittee on Resources voted 4-0 to carry over the bill to the 2025 legislative session rather than move the bill forward.

Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn were among those who testified in Richmond on Thursday about the detrimental effect a casino in neighboring Tysons would have on the entire region.

“Opposition to the casino bill is one of the Vienna Town Council’s top legislative priorities,” Colbert said. “Supervisor Alcorn and I expressed strong opposition to the legislation today during a Senate Finance Committee meeting this afternoon, and the bill was tabled for a year for further study.”

SB 675, introduced by Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke), sought to put a referendum on a future ballot to authorize a casino in Tysons Corner.

Vienna Town Councilmembers, residents, and others opposed to the proposal responded with numerous calls and emails to their representatives in Richmond.

“We are grateful to the Vienna community for signing petitions and sending emails and letters to the Town Council and Virginia legislators opposing the casino,” Colbert said. “We are also thankful for the support we received from our legislative delegation, Del. Holly Seibold (D-Vienna) and state Sen. Saddam Salim (D-Falls Church).”

Georgia Senate passes sports betting bill, House vote next

The Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill 386 (SB 386) on Thursday, a measure designed to regulate and tax sports betting under the oversight of the Georgia Lottery Commission. Lawmakers say Georgia currently “illegally” bets nearly $5 billion a year on sports.

The new measure, SB 386, sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon (R – Gwinnett), will allocate taxes collected from sports betting to student financial aid programs, including the HOPE college scholarship and Georgia Pre-K programs.

Dixon applauded the passage of the measure, stating, “In passing SB 386, we’ve paved the way for responsible and regulated sports betting in Georgia. As our state evolves, it’s crucial to acknowledge the existing landscape with neighboring states already engaging in this activity. With millions in potential revenue, SB 386 ensures that these funds contribute to the growth of Georgia, supporting essential programs such as the HOPE scholarship and pre-kindergarten initiatives. By implementing safeguards, like prohibiting credit card use for betting and providing tools for self-limitation, we prioritize responsible gambling. The bill’s bipartisan support exemplifies a united commitment to the well-being of our citizens and the prosperity of Georgia’s future. SB 386 is more than a legislative milestone; it’s an investment in education and our economy.”

Dixon serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth. He represents the 45th Senate District which includes portions of Gwinnett and Barrow Counties.

The bill will now be considered by the Georgia House of Representatives.

EveryMatrix gains access to Pennsylvania online casino market

EveryMatrix has obtained approval to operate in Pennsylvania giving it access to its sixth regulated North American iGaming market.

The technology and content provider has been granted ‘interim authorization’ from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board enabling it to offer its software and services to licensed operators in the state.

The Malta-based company has more than 300 global customers with North American licenses and regulatory approvals in all regulated iGaming states including New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Ontario Canada, and most recently Connecticut.

EveryMatrix delivers iGaming software, solutions, and content to online casinos and sports betting services. It will soon begin the rollout of its aggregation services in Pennsylvania via its partnership with betParx alongside expanding existing live customers such as BetMGMRush Street Interactive, and DraftKings.

Erik Nyman, President EveryMatrix Americas, said access in the Keystone State is a great start to 2024.

“We will continue to roll out our games portfolio and aggregation services to fill both the content gap while also adding rich bonus and gamification features that will be completely new to the U.S. market,” Nyman said in a company press release. “This will significantly boost our customers’ portfolios with proven, localized revenue-generating titles.”

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Union responds to NetJets letter on pilot behavior

An independent labor union representing the 3,200-plus pilots who fly for NetJets, received a letter from the company’s counsel alleging that the union had condoned or encouraged pilots to engage in a work slowdown to negatively impact their operations. The NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots reported receiving the letter from NetJets on Friday.

NetJets Aviation Inc. is a provider of luxury private air transportation. The company is a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

NetJets has alleged pilots were "spiking" fatigue rates, increasing the frequency of documenting maintenance issues on aircraft, and refusing to voluntarily extend their duty days.

The pilot’s union, NJASAP, says NetJets failed to provide any evidence to substantiate their claims.

NetJets attorneys demanded the union take disciplinary action, up to and including imposing financial penalties, against any pilots who engaged in such behavior.

“The company issued this demand while, once again, failing to identify a single pilot who engaged in any of the alleged conduct,” NJASAP said in a press release. The union adamantly denies it engaged in any effort to slow down NetJets operations.

“We have issued a communication to our members to cease and desist any individual efforts to do so," NJASAP President Capt. Pedro Leroux said. "We view NetJets' letter and threats as its latest attempt to censor NJASAP's ability to communicate with its members about important matters that affect flight crew and owner and customer safety."

Leroux went on to emphasize that NJASAP will vigorously defend itself against all allegations and will not be intimidated in its efforts to effectively represent the membership's interests.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Single-engine Cessna Caravan forced to land on Virginia road

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the forced landing of a single-engine plane on Loudoun County Parkway in Virginia. The NTSB announced the investigation on their X account on Friday.

“A small plane has landed on the Loudoun County Parkway at Arcola Mills Drive and is blocking all lanes,” the Virginia Department of Transportation said on Facebook.

News reports indicate the turboprop plane had just departed Washington Dulles International Airport before landing on the roadway after its initial climb.

The aircraft, a single-engine Cessna Caravan 208B (tail number N1983X), is operated by Southern Airways Express based in Palm Beach, Fla. The plane was manufactured in 2003.

Founded in 2013, Southern Airways Express is a commuter airline serving nearly 40 American cities across five U.S. time zones. Southern operates a fleet of over thirty aircraft, including the Cessna Caravan/Grand Caravan, the King Air Super 200, and the Citation Bravo.

According to flight tracking data, flight 9X246 was departing Dulles Airport from runway 30 and performed a forced landing on the road approximately two minutes after takeoff.

The aircraft came to a stop at the side of the road and the seven occupants onboard evacuated. Photos of the aircraft show the propeller blades were bent in the emergency landing.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Akasa Air orders 150 more Boeing 737 MAX jets

The Boeing Company announced Thursday that India’s Akasa Air has placed a follow-on 737 MAX order, confirming 150 more jets in its order book.

The purchase of 737-10 airplanes and an additional 737-8-200 jets was announced at the Wings India 2024 airshow.

Akasa Air will use the 737 MAX family to expand its domestic and international network in the coming years. Since launching operations in 2022, the airline has captured approximately 4% of India’s domestic market, serving 18 destinations with a fleet of 22 737 MAX jets.

“We are excited to announce this historic order for 150 new Boeing airplanes, increasing our total orders from Boeing to 226 jets,” said Vinay Dube, Akasa Air founder and CEO. “In addition to supporting our rapid domestic expansion, the efficiency and economics of these new airplanes position Akasa to launch international routes in the coming months.

The new aircraft will provide Akasa Air with added capacity and range on new and existing routes while reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% compared to older-generation airplanes.

As Akasa Air looks to expand its network in India and South Asia, Boeing’s 2023 Commercial Market outlook forecasts the delivery of 2,705 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years for the region, of which nearly 90% will be single-aisle jets.