UPDATE – Embraer communiqué:
On Thursday morning, October 12, as part of
the flight test campaign for certification, a prototype of the KC-390
multi-mission transport aircraft performed stall speed flight tests, which
resulted in aircraft altitude loss due to decreased lift force.
Due to the maneuvers performed and following
the established protocols for this specific situation, the crew requested an
early return to the base, landing safely at the company’s aerodrome in Gavião
Peixoto (SP) where the flight test campaign is being carried out.
The KC-390 is scheduled to enter service in
2018, according to the program schedule. Currently, two KC-390 prototypes have
accumulated more than 1,300 flight hours. ]
Please start
here. (original in Portuguese)
It appears the Embraer KC-390 had a mishap on October 12 during a test
flight. Here’s a link to the flight on
that day from Flightradar24. The crucial gap in tracking is
readily visible. Here is an image of PT-ZNF doing its first flight.
We requested a response from Embraer about this
story. As the comments below the linked post above show the story, as
told, generated confusion.
The KC-390 is a clean sheet design and an entirely new
aircraft type for Embraer. The OEM is chartering new territory here.
There is no disputing the company’s engineering is first class. So can the
program hit unexpected snags? Of course. But that is what is expected
from flight test programs. Every OEM invariably hits a snag of some sort.
Computer models and simulators cannot replicate everything. That is the
purpose of flight tests, to wring out any kinks and ensure the aircraft
performs in a predictable way when in service.
Consequently, whatever actually happened on October 12,
Embraer is no doubt working on a fix. The OEM will in due course no doubt
make any statement necessary. We will publish their response to our request.
But what this does show is that the aviation community is
passionate about flight test programs. Using the flight tracking tools
they monitor everything. When something weird happens, they are on the
case immediately. An OEM does not really have a chance – unless they
switch off the ADS-B system. This is done frequently, but it’s not a
solution if the aircraft is flying in airspace where it needs to be “seen” by
other aircraft, ensuring safe flight by all.
© 2017, Addison
Schonland. All rights reserved.
Original post: airinsight.com
Embraer KC-390 (PT-ZNF)— Embraer flight on 2017-10-12 13:27:00: HERE
Embraer KC-390 (PT-ZNF)— Embraer flight on 2017-10-12 13:27:00: HERE
Related articles:
Embraer KC-390: Details
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