Aviation Tanzania

A passenger jet crashed into a highway after making a hard landing at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. At least four people were killed and four critically injured, says the Interior Ministry. Officials believe the cause could be pilot error.
Two people were found dead at the scene of the TU-204 jet crash, while a 27-year-old woman died on the way to hospital. Whether the fourth person died at the scene or in the ambulance remains unclear. Those killed are the captain, the co-pilot, the flight engineer and a flight attendant, the Emergencies Ministry declared. Four people taken to Moscow hospitals – three flight attendants and a technical staff – remain in a critical condition. They have sustained traumatic brain injuries, say medical officials. By midnight the wreckage of the plane had been cleared and the traffic on the Kievskoye Highway fully restored.
The plane was flying in from Pardubice, the Czech Republic, and was carrying eight to twelve people according to various reports. Vnukovo Airp…

Combining Airbus’ EFB content with the iPad portable device.

Qantas has become a launch customer for the ‘FlySmart with Airbus’ cockpit applications on iPad. These ‘Electronic Flight Bag’ (EFB) applications will be used by all pilots in the airline who fly Airbus aircraft.

The Airbus EFB solution for iPad was announced at the Farnborough Air Show earlier this year and Qantas has been working closely with Airbus since the launch of the project. Qantas pilots took part in testing the Airbus applications and worked with Airbus engineers to help define the best iPad EFB applications for the pilot community. The Airbus iPad EFB applications will soon be delivered to Qantas as well as to a growing number of launch customers worldwide who have chosen the system. Pilots around the world will soon be able to consult all their Airbus operational manuals on iPad. They will also be able to compute their aircraft performance calculations which will provide them with optimised and accurate results on …

PARIS (AP) —AirbussaysAirAsia,southeast Asia's topbudget carrier, is ordering 100 additional A320 single-aisle jets in a deal that greatly increases the Malaysian-based carrier's orders for the European aircraft. In a statementThursday Airbussays the deal brings the total number ofA320 aircraftordered or already delivered to AirAsia to 475. AirAsia currently flies a fleet of 100 A320s out of bases in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Tokyo. The new jets will allow AirAsia to open new routes and increase frequencies on flights to the Philippines and Japan, AirAsia CEOTony Fernandessaid in a statement. The deal includes orders for 64 of the A320neo, a revamped model which Airbus advertises as more fuel efficient version of the A320.
Yahoo!

Airline passengers often complain about being treated like sacks of potatoes on board flights, well it turns out, some were replaced by sacks of potatoes. In order to improve the wireless Internet connection found on its planes, US aircraft maker Boeing conducted experiments substituting passengers with potatoes. “The team determined that potatoes were ideal stand-ins for passengers, given their similar physical interactions with electronic signal properties,” Boeing said in a press release about the 20,000 pounds (9,071 kg) of potatoes that were used in tests aimed at eliminating weak spots in in-flight wireless signals. Many airlines offer customers wireless Internet, but the signal strength can be spotty for passengers while 35,000 feet (10,668 meters) up in the air. Boeing tried to remedy the problem through a series of tests that needed full planes to get accurate signal testing results. The company couldn’t ask people to sit completely still for days while it gathered data, and “tha…

At least two people killed when flight carrying 51 foreigners crashes while attempting to land in heavy fog.
The ageing Fokker-100 jet crashed while attempting to land in heavy fog, breaking its tail and catching fire [AFP]
A Myanmar passenger jet packed with foreign tourists crash-landed and burst into flames in a field in eastern Shan state, killing at least two people and injuring 11 others, officials have said. Air Bagan said a Burmese tour guide on the plane was killed and a motorcyclist on the ground also perished. Two pilots were among those taken to hospital, according to Air Bagan spokesman Ye Min Oo. "The cause of the accident is not clear yet. Only the pilots will know the cause, but we can't contact them yet as they have been sent to hospital," he said. Fifty-one foreigners were among the 63 passengers, according to the information ministry. Two Americans, two Britons and one Korean man were among those taken to the hospital in nearby Taunggyi, according to Air Baga…

The Precisionair's second state of the art ATR42-600 has safely landed in its home city of Dar Es Salaam on Sunday evening.
The aircraft registered in Tanzania as 5H-PWI and baptised as "Mji wa iringa" landed in Dar at 19H22 Local time and after customs clearance it was taxied to Presicionair's Hangar for other preparations before it starts its flying duties.

Here below are some pictures of the new plane.

Tanzanian carrierPrecision Air Serviceshas today taken delivery of another brand new, state of the art ATR42-600. This is airline’s second -600 series aircraft out of 5 (4 ATR 42-600s and 1 ATR 72-600) ordered in December 2011.

With this new planes the carrier is keen to further develop its regional network, adding new routes and frequencies to its domestic and regional markets.


The new aircraft registered as 5H-PWI departed from Toulouse today Saturday 22nd, and expected to land in Dar Es Salaam, JNIA on Sunday evening.
Visit this place to stay updated further on this aircraft on its arrival in DAR, Tanzania.

The light-weight aircraft owned by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), crashed on sunday evening in Mpanda district, Katavi region, leaving the solo pilot injured.
The CESSNA 182G Skylane (Cn: 182-66371 ), registered as 5H-FZS crashed at Nsemlwa village whereby it broke into two pieces shortly after it took-off from the airport in Mpanda.


The plane piloted by capt. Adamu Athumani Kajwaa flying from Tabora had one passenger who disembarked at Mpanda airport, shortly before it took off to Katavi National Park. The accident happened 1km away from Mpanda airport.

According to authorities,the preliminary investigation shows that the cause of the accident was engine failure while the aircraft was airborne.

The pilot was rescued by farmers who were at their farms at the time of the accident. Witnesses say that they saw the plane which was airborne just shut down its engine and it suddenly fell down and crashed nearby a mango tree. They then ran towards the scene to assist only to fin…

Precision Air, Tanzania's leading airline sets to start its operations to Mbeya (MBI) following the re-opening of the Songwe airport which was closed for reconstruction and modernization that took about a decade to be completed.
PW scheduled flights to MBI are set to commence next month (january 2013) whereby a demo flight has been arranged on the day of inauguration of the airport to carry government and private sector officials to the event venue.
The airline has already put an advert on the new route, calling for potential passengers to get ready for take-off to the southern highlands regions. The schedule will initially offer 4 times weekly flights to Mbeya using ATR aicrafts, before increasing the frequencies subject to the performance and passenger volume.
Precision Air is one of the fastest growing Regional Airlines in Africa operating scheduled passenger and cargo services. The aircraft fleet consists of ATR42 and ATR 72 latest models and Boeing 737. The airline is currently …

As it was announced by TCAA, the Songwe airport (HTGW) is opened and operational. The NOTAM issued by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority on 13th Dec 2012 states as:

B0131/12  121213 SONGWE HTGW                      1212130000/1212270000                  TRIGGER NOTAM-PERM AIRAC AIP SUP 23/12 WEF 13 DEC 2012 NEW                   AIRPORT CALLED SONGWE OPENED AND OPERATIONAL.
This is to say Mbeya Airport is now open and operational thus opening the doors for air operators to start their operations to and from Mbeya. This week we have seen Precisionair already announced commencement of its operations to Mbeya.

Precision Air Services of Tanzania is looking for suitably qualified candidates to fill the vacant position of Technical Director in its Engineering department.
Precision Air is one of the fastest growing Regional Airlines in Africa operating scheduled passenger and cargo services. The aircraft fleet consists of ATR42 and ATR 72 latest models and Boeing 737. The airline is currently undertaking a Fleet Expansion and Modernization programme which will place it as one of the airlines’ operating the youngest fleet in Africa. Having listed at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange in 2011, Precision Air is a Public owned corporation with two subsidiaries, Precise Systems Ltd (a distribution company) and Precision Ground Handling Company.
Details of the job can be downloaded via the following link: http://www.precisionairtz.com/career/Vacancies.html

In 1996 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that 7 December was to be the International Civil Aviation Day. The day had been celebrated by the International Civil Aviation Organization since 7 December 1994, the 50th anniversary of the signing the Convention on International Civil Aviation. International Civil Aviation Day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of international civil aviation and the role that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) plays in international air transport. The organization is a United Nations (UN) body responsible for developing international standards for aviation safety. ICAO, with support from governments, organizations, businesses and individuals, actively promotes International Civil Aviation Day through various activities and events.

The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering airlines to inspect 787 Dreamliners for improperly installed fuel-line connectors that could result in leaks or even fires.


The safety directive, to be published Wednesday, gives airlines a week to check fuel-line system fastening wires and 21 days to check connectors inside the pylons that hold the engines.

Fuel leaks were reported by airlines on two in-service 787s, and subsequent inspections by Boeing of jets in service or still in production revealed some fuel line connectors were installed incorrectly. Such leaks “could result in fuel leaks and consequent fuel exhaustion, engine power loss or shutdown, or leaks on hot engine parts that could lead to a fire,” according to an FAA notice Tuesday in the Federal Register. Boeing recommended such inspections to 787 customers on Nov. 25. The FAA airworthiness directive makes it mandatory.

“Certainly we would prefer not to have workmanship issues,” said Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter. “But the…

An EgyptAir pilot made an emergency landing at Hurghada airport on Monday after a snake bit a Jordanian passenger. The snake was apparently concealed in his luggage. Crew were shocked by the passenger's screams, being unaware of the snake's presence on the plane. The accident was reported to the pilot, who requested permission for emergency landing in Hurghada.  The passenger was immediately taken off the plane for medical treatment, and local authorities confiscated the snake. Following that, the flight continued on to Kuwait.
eturbonews

A cargo plane has crashed at Brazzaville airport while trying to land in a storm, killing around 30 residents and also the crew, emergency services and witnesses said. Around 30 local people had been killed as the plane skidded off the runway and crashed into houses and a bar in the Congolese capital before crashing into a ravine, said Georgelin Massemba, head of the emergency services. Earlier Friday, emergency services had spoken of around 20 dead. The crew, numbering three or four people, are thought to have died in the ensuing fire. Another 20 or so people had been injured in the crash and taken to nearby hospitals, witnesses said. The Ilyushin plane, registered with local company Aero-services, was flying in from the western port city of Pointe Noire carrying cars and other goods. A journalist at the scene said the crash happened during a violent storm. Two hours after the crash, firefighters were still scouring the wreckage to look for victims. Although the plane was to carry fr…