ARC NEWS
Iran Air faces new sanctions over weapons exports to Russia
September 11, 2024
The governments of the UK, France and Germany will cancel bilateral air service agreements with Iran and place sanctions on Iran Air over Tehran's export of ballistic missiles to Russia, while the USA has stepped up sanctions on the airline. Foreign ministers for the three European nations released a joint statement on 10 September condemning Iran for supplying missiles to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine and will step up sanctions against several Russian and Iranian individuals and logistics companies involved in supplying the weapons. They also state that the three countries "will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran," which will likely block them from operating flights there, and impose new sanctions on Iran Air. No other Iranian carriers were named in the statement. Schedules data shows that Iran Air operates 11 flights per week from Tehran to destinations in the UK, France and Germany, comprised of thrice-weekly services to London Heathrow, and twice-weekly each to Paris Charles de Gaulle, Cologne, Frankfurt and Hamburg. Qeshm Air also flies a weekly service from Tabriz to Hamburg that will be affected once the bilateral air services agreement is cancelled. In a separate fact sheet released on the same day, the US State Department states that it will step up sanctions against Iran Air for " enabling Iran’s acquisition of sensitive-western origin dual-use materials for use in the development of UAVs, some of which are provided to Russia for use in Ukraine". Iran Air and other Iranian carriers were already under financial sanctions related to the US related to Iran's nuclear programme prior to the latest escalation that has prevented it from leasing or acquiring aircraft from Western sources since 2018.


Delta A350 wing clips Endeavor Air CRJ900 tail at Atlanta airport
September 11, 2024
A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900's wing struck the tail of an Endeavor Air CRJ900 on a taxiway at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International on 10 September, damaging both aircraft but resulting in no reported injuries. Delta says that the A350 (MSN 149), taxiing out as flight DL295 from Atlanta to Tokyo Haneda, made contact with the tail of the CRJ900 (MSN 15302) – flight DL5526 to Lafayette, Louisiana – on an adjacent taxiway. The US major adds that it is working with the US National Transportation Safety Board and other authorities in the investigation of the incident. MRO arm Delta TechOps is moving both aircraft to maintenance hangars. Passengers on both flights will resume their journeys on alternate aircraft scheduled to depart later on 10 September. The damaged A350 is seven years old and is owned by Delta. The CRJ900 is operated by US regional carrier Endeavor on behalf of Delta Connection. The 10.7-year-old aircraft is managed by Falko, with Delta as the sub-lessor.


Voepass ATR crash's investigators focus on icing
September 10, 2024
Brazilian air accident investigators are concentrating on icing as a potential cause of the crash of a Voepass ATR 72-500 in Vinhedo on 9 August. The Centro de Investigacao e Prevencao de Acidentes Aeronauticos (CENIPA) says in a preliminary report that the pilots lost control of the aircraft after encountering icing conditions during the flight from Cascavel to Sao Paulo International airport in Guarulhos. The turboprop (registered PS-VPB) stalled at its cruising flight level 170 (FL170) and entered a flat spin as the crew were preparing a descent to Guarulhos. It crashed into a residential area. There were no survivors among the 58 passengers and four crew on board. CENIPA says that pilots had activated the turboprop's airframe de-icing system three times during the flight. It was initially turned on, briefly, after an electronic ice-detector alert as the aircraft climbed through FL130. About 40 seconds later, CENIPA says, "the crew commented on the occurrence of an airframe de-icing fault", following a cockpit chime, and switched the system off. The separate propeller anti-icing system had been turned on earlier during the flight. Following the airframe de-icing system's deactivation, CENIPA says, the electronic ice-detector alert signal ceased. But the signal was intermittently emitted another five times over the next hour or so. The pilots turned on the airframe de-icing system for the second time, about three-and-a-half minutes before the loss of control, and switched it off again Around one minute before the control loss, the system was turned on for the final time, with the second pilot commenting on "a lot of icing", CENIPA says. It adds that control was lost after the aircraft had begun a right turn, in line with air traffic control instructions, and the triggering of an increase-speed alert. One of the aircraft's two cabin air conditioning and pressurisation packs was inoperable at the time, CENIPA says. The two packs are fed by engine bleed air, which is also used for the pneumatic airframe de-icing system. CENIPA notes that "failure or malfunction in one of the packs was not an impediment for the aircraft to be dispatched", provided that it would not be operated above FL170. The investigators observe that "severe icing" had been forecast for the flight information region in which the aircraft was operating at the time of the accident. The atmosphere was "very humid" and there was "extensive cloudiness with significant thickness", CENIPA says. No emergency call was made from the aircraft. CENIPA says it will follow three main lines of action in the ongoing investigation: human factors related to the pilots' performance; the aircraft's airworthiness, with "special attention" to its anti-icing, de-icing and stall-protection systems; and the operational environment. Voepass says the preliminary report "confirms that the aircraft of flight 2283 had a valid airworthiness verification certificate and that all required systems were in operation. "It also reinforces, as the report indicates, that both pilots were fit to fly, with all valid pilot certifications and up-to-date training." Noting that air accident investigation "is a complex process, involving multiple factors and requiring time to be conducted properly", the airline says that "only the final report from CENIPA will be able to conclusively determine the causes of the incident". The airline asserts that it "strictly follows all protocols that attest to the compliance of its entire fleet, following the highest standards of international aviation". It adds that "the safety of its passengers and crew has always been and will continue to be its top priority".


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