U.S. drone purchase deal between State Department and Tajikistan

The U.S. Department of State is in the market to purchase ten small unmanned aerial surveillance (UAS) drones for border security and law enforcement agencies within the government of Tajikistan.

The request for the drones was announced in a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation contract document released on Monday.

The government of Tajikistan will use the drones to build capacity in securing its borders, enforcing its laws, and interdicting illicit drugs and arms transiting the region, the State Department said in the document.

“These small unit UAS systems will be used by the Tajik Border Force for aerial reconnaissance and situational awareness in the vicinity of border posts/outposts situated along the Tajik-Afghan border,” the State Department said. The drones will be a donation from the State Department’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs to the Tajik Border Force (TBF).

The Skydio X2D Color/Thermal (multi-band) UAS has been previously purchased by the Department of State for donation to the Tajik Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA/OMON) for use on the Afghan border. “As such, interoperability between MIA/OMON and TBF is an important factor and a cost-saving benefit when training personnel,” State Department officials said in the document.

“The Skydio X2D Color/Thermal (multi-band) short-range reconnaissance drone has unique properties in that it is NDAA compliant, ‘made in America’ UAS with encrypted data security, multi-band technology and capabilities, and unmatched autonomy through the use of six 4K navigation cameras,” officials added. “The ability to toggle between frequencies allows for secure communication without interference.”

Results of market research by the State Department identified the Skydio X2D Color/Thermal UAS Drone as the only U.S. brand name known to the purchaser that fully satisfies the end user's requirements, the State Department said.

“The government will entertain other ‘Made in America’ options that are NDAA compliant,” officials said. “Other systems with competitive features include the Autel Robotics EVO II Dual 640T Drone and the DJI Mavic 3T Thermal Enterprise Drone, however, both are non-U.S. companies, non-NDAA compliant, and made in China.”

First Cessna Citation Longitude jet registered in Mexico

Textron Aviation has delivered the first flagship Cessna Citation Longitude business jet registered in Mexico to a customer who plans to utilize the aircraft for business travel throughout Mexico and the rest of North America.

The Longitude received certification from the Mexican Federal Civil Aviation Agency in 2022.

No other super-midsize business jet offers more range, greater payload, or higher cruise speed at a lower direct operating cost than the Longitude, Textron said in a company press release. The aircraft incorporates the latest technologies throughout the aircraft like integrated autopilot, autothrottles, and emergency descent mode.

The company recently announced that the 100th production unit of the Citation Longitude rolled out of the factory and is expected to be delivered later this year.

With a range of 6,482 kilometers (3,500 nautical miles) and full fuel payload of 726 kilograms (1,600 pounds), the Citation Longitude is designed to elevate passenger expectations in the super-midsize class.

With seating for up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat, the Longitude features a stand-up, 6-foot tall flat-floor cabin. The aircraft is powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines.

NTSB Report: Witnesses say plane's nose 'dropped' before fatal crash near Colonial Beach

Witnesses report seeing the nose of an experimental plane drop before it crashed in Colonial Beach, Va., killing a father and son onboard. The reports were part of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary investigation report released on Thursday.

According to the NTSB report, on June 7, at 10:15 a.m. EDT, an experimental Vans RV-6 aircraft (registration N835BC) was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Colonial Beach, Va. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured.

A witness to the accident stated he was a lifelong friend of the passenger, and the passenger’s son, the pilot. He stated the pilot and his father flew to his house on June 6 from Wilmington, N.C. The airplane landed at a neighbor’s house on a 1,700-foot-long grass runway.

They went night fishing and on the morning of the accident, the witness dropped them off at the airplane. The pilot told him they would fly to Tappahannock Airport in Tappahannock, Va., to fill up with fuel before returning to Wilmington. The witness then returned to his house.

About 30 minutes later, while standing in his driveway, the witness heard the airplane flying overhead. He watched the aircraft as it made two circles around his house. The airplane was in a “very steep” or “knife edge” tight circle on the second circle, only about 100 ft above the ground. The nose of the airplane dropped, and the aircraft impacted the ground beside his driveway almost vertically. He further stated that the engine sounded like it was “running well” the entire time.

A second witness, the neighbor, stated that the pilot and his father previously flew to his runway about six times over the last couple of years.

The neighbor further stated that on the morning of the accident, he noticed the airplane circling his neighbor’s house while he was driving, so he stopped his truck to watch it.

The airplane made a couple of circles around the house and some up-and-down maneuvers. On the last circle around the house, at an altitude of 100 ft, the airplane was in a tight circle knife edge turn. The airplane was “not going very fast” and the nose of the airplane dropped down about 20°. It then dropped to 80° and the airplane impacted the ground vertically next to the driveway.

The accident site was located between a driveway and a cornfield. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude, the NTSB said in their report. A post-crash fire consumed most of the airplane.

The fuselage, instrument panel, cabin, seats, and inboard wings were all consumed by fire. All the accessories were fire damaged and mostly melted.

The NTSB will continue to investigate the accident and release a final report in the future.

Fatal plane crashes in Virginia for 2023:

June - Preliminary report released on Cessna jet crash in Virginia

March - Preliminary report investigating plane crash in Hillsville, Va., released by NTSB

February - NTSB releases preliminary report on plane crash in Rockingham County, Va.

January - NTSB report shows pilot and passenger were in plane “not to be flown”

Condor Aviation takes delivery of new Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft

Textron Aviation has delivered a Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft to the Yurok Tribe’s Condor Aviation that will assist in performing large-scale environmental restoration projects.

The special missions Grand Caravan EX aircraft will increase the tribe’s capacity to evaluate long-term natural resource management decisions and quantify the effects of climate change, Textron said in a company press release.

The Yurok Tribe will use aerial imaging equipment and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems aboard the Cessna aircraft to create extremely accurate three-dimensional maps of the earth’s surface. This will help the tribe collect a broad range of data regarding terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Yurok officials said data collected by the aircraft will significantly enhance their ability to holistically restore salmon-spawning streams.

“We employ LiDAR data and high-definition aerial imagery to maximize the efficacy of our efforts to rebuild biologically diverse ecosystems and repair fire-damaged forests in Northern California,” said Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers. The Yurok Tribe is the most populous federally recognized tribe in California.

The new Grand Caravan EX joins a Cessna Turbo Skylane already in service with Condor Aviation. In addition to tribal projects, Condor Aviation, in conjunction with the Yurok Fisheries Department’s technical team, provides precision mapping and high-resolution imaging services to a wide range of clients from California to Alaska.

The Cessna Caravan platform has seen more than 3,000 aircraft delivered that are certified in 100 countries with nearly 24 million flight hours amassed worldwide since the aircraft was introduced. The aircraft offers an impressive output of 867 horsepower and a rate of climb of 1,275 feet per minute.

Preliminary report released on Cessna jet crash in Virginia

On June 4, about 3:32 p.m. EDT, a Cessna Citation 560 jet (registration N611VG), was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Montebello, Va., killing a pilot and three passengers onboard. On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report detailing the plane’s flight that day.

According to the NTSB report, the Cessna Citation jet departed Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at 1:13 p.m. EDT on June 4 destined for Long Island Mac Arthur Airport in New York. A single pilot and three passengers were aboard the plane.

A review of preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control audio recordings revealed that the pilot contacted the Atlanta Center controllers shortly after takeoff, and reported climbing through 9,300 feet to 10,000 ft. The controller then subsequently cleared the flight to flight level 230 (23,000 ft) and the pilot read back the clearance.

At 1:22 p.m. EDT, the pilot was handed off to another controller with Atlanta Center. The pilot subsequently contacted the controller, advising that the airplane was maintaining flight level 230 (23,000 ft). The controller cleared the flight to flight level 290 (29,000 ft) and the pilot read back the clearance.

At 1:25 p.m. EDT, the controller cleared the airplane to flight level 340 (34,000 ft) and the pilot readback the clearance. At this time the airplane was about 28,000 ft.

At 1:28 p.m. EDT, the controller amended the prior altitude clearance, instructing the pilot to stop the climb at 33,000 ft for crossing air traffic. The pilot did not respond to the amended clearance, the airplane continued the climb to 34,000 ft and leveled off. No further radio transmissions from the pilot were received for the remainder of the flight, despite repeated attempts to contact the pilot.

The Cessna jet arrived over Long Island Mac Arthur Airport at 2:32 p.m. EDT at 34,000 feet. After passing over the airport, the aircraft made a 180-degree turn and continued to fly without responding to air traffic controllers.

According to a North American Aerospace Defense Command statement, at about 3:20 p.m. EDT the airplane was intercepted by U.S. fighter aircraft. The pilot was unresponsive to several radio transmissions, intercept flight maneuvers, and flares dropped by the fighters.

The plane then entered a rapidly descending right spiral descent into the terrain at 3:22 p.m. EDT. The aircraft impacted mountainous and forested terrain a short distance from where the spiraling descent was observed.

During the examination of the terrain, trees, and wreckage found at the accident site, “all were consistent with a high velocity, near vertical descent,” the NTSB said in their report. “The wreckage was extremely fragmented, scattered around a main crater, and evidence of a post-impact fire was observed.”

According to recent maintenance inspection records, the airplane, as of May 2023, was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), however, at the time of this publication, a CVR had not been located.

The airplane was owned and operated by Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc. in Florida.

The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination. A final report will be issued in the future. 

Aircraft leasing company Avolon orders 40 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes

International aircraft leasing company Avolon has ordered 40 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes. Boeing announced the order at this week’s Paris Air Show.

"We are confident in the long-term demand from our customers for the 737 MAX, and this order extends our delivery pipeline out to 2030," said Andy Cronin, CEO of Avolon. "The transitioning of the global fleet to more fuel-efficient new-technology aircraft is a priority for our industry, and we are looking to play a leading role by supporting airlines achieving their sustainability objectives."

The 737 MAX will provide Avolon's customers with greater flexibility across their network while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to the airplanes they replace. Each airplane will save up to 8 million pounds of CO₂ annually compared to the airplanes it replaces.

Boeing officials said the order demonstrates the popularity of the 737-8 aircraft.

"Avolon has a long-standing relationship with the 737 MAX program and took delivery of the 1,000^th 737 MAX last year,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We look forward to building on this strong relationship with a key leasing partner as they grow their Boeing portfolio of airplanes."

This order was previously unidentified on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website.

The 737-8 model, seating 162 to 210 passengers depending on configuration and with a range of 3,500 nautical miles, is the market's most versatile single-aisle airplane, capable of operating profitably on short and medium-haul routes.

Boeing customers have placed more than 1,000 orders and commitments for the company's new commercial airplanes since July 2022. This includes over 750 737 MAX airplanes, reflecting the value of the family's versatility and commonality.

Air India finalizes order for up to 290 Boeing jets

Boeing and Air India announced Tuesday they have finalized an order for up to 290 new Boeing jets and expanded services. The two companies held a signing ceremony at this week’s 2023 Paris Air Show to celebrate the historic purchase of Boeing's market-leading single-aisle and widebody jets to renew and expand Air India's fleet.

The order, which includes 190 737 MAXs, 20 787 Dreamliners and 10 777X jets with options for 50 737 MAXs and 20 787 Dreamliners, is Boeing's largest order in South Asia.

A comprehensive set of aviation services will also enable Air India to sustainably expand its operations in South Asia's rapidly growing aviation market. Over the next 20 years, South Asia is expected to more than triple its in-service fleet from 700 to 2,300 airplanes to meet passenger demand.

The companies announced in February that Air India had selected these Boeing models to serve its strategy for sustainable growth.