Samwise Aeronautical Mechanics
Friday, July 10, 2026
Investigators Find Locking Pin in Storage Box After Lufthansa 787-9 Nose Gear Collapse at Frankfurt
German aviation investigators have issued preliminary findings from the 4 June collapse of a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 nose gear at Frankfurt Airport. The Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) found the nose-gear locking pin was in its storage box — not installed — when technicians activated the landing gear lever. The aircraft maintenance manual instructs technicians to fit locking pins before operating the landing gear; the crew had not followed that procedure. The incident injured 23 of the 28 persons aboard, two seriously, and caused severe damage to the fuselage and nose-gear bay.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
EASA AD 2026-0134 Supersedes Emergency Directive for A320-Family Onboard Computer Software
EASA issued Airworthiness Directive 2026-0134 on 9 July, superseding Emergency AD 2025-0268-E covering certain Airbus A320-family aircraft. The original emergency directive, issued on 28 November 2025, targeted a software vulnerability introduced during an onboard computer update. The new AD preserves the core compliance requirements while introducing additional clarifications and alternative means of compliance that reduce the operational burden on affected operators. Airlines and maintenance organizations managing A320-family fleets should review the revised compliance pathways and update maintenance management procedures ahead of the AD’s applicability deadline to maintain continued airworthiness certification.
Rolls-Royce Makes Trent XWB-84 Enhanced Performance Variant the Standard A350-900 Powerplant
Rolls-Royce has elevated the Trent XWB-84 Enhanced Performance (EP) variant to the standard powerplant for Airbus A350-900 sales campaigns, discontinuing the original baseline model from future offers. The EP engine delivers an average 1.8 percent fuel-burn improvement in service, exceeding the one percent improvement forecast at certification. Delta Air Lines became the first XWB-84 EP operator in May 2025, with two additional carriers also running the variant. Engines are assembled in Derby, with additional manufacturing capacity to be added near Dahlewitz by the end of the decade. The original XWB-84 baseline will no longer be offered to new customers.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Collins Aerospace Expands elecTRAS Electric Thrust Reverser Program with New UK Engineering Centre
Collins Aerospace is advancing its elecTRAS electric thrust reverser technology through a new engineering centre of excellence in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, focused on next-generation actuation improvements. Collins already supplies the A350 with electric thrust reversers — the only Western in-production commercial aircraft so equipped — and is positioning the system for next-generation narrowbody programs. A production line is also planned in Colomiers, near Toulouse. Electric thrust reversers are reported to be up to 20 percent lighter than hydraulic equivalents, reducing overall system complexity and certification burden for future narrowbody applications.
GKN Aerospace Launches HPDrive Technologies Joint Venture to Commercialise Cryogenic Electric Motors
GKN Aerospace has established HPDrive Technologies, a joint venture with the University of Nottingham to commercialise cryogenic-cooled electric motors developed under the H2GEAR hydrogen research programme, which concluded in June 2026. A 60-kilowatt demonstrator motor achieved approximately 99 percent efficiency during testing at the University of Manchester. A one-megawatt version was built but never operated owing to regulatory difficulties importing rare-earth magnets. HPDrive Technologies plans to initially target wind turbine and marine propulsion markets before pursuing aerospace applications. The new venture is led by Professor Henner Wapenhans as chief executive.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Boeing Completes Exterior Construction on 102,000-Square-Metre F-47 Factory at St. Louis
Boeing has substantially completed exterior construction at its Brownleigh Site facility in St. Louis, which will assemble the F-47 advanced combat aircraft. The factory covers approximately 102,000 square metres and represents a $1.8 billion investment. Roof panels, cladding, and hangar doors are largely finished; the facility is adjacent to Lambert International Airport. The F-47 is targeted for a first flight in 2028, with the United States Air Force seeking at least 185 aircraft. The type is designed for Mach 2 speed with a 1,000-nautical-mile combat radius. Boeing is also a finalist for the Navy’s F/A-XX competition.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Canada’s First A330-Based CC-330 Husky Tanker Completes Maiden Flight in Spain
Canada’s first A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) configured for aerial refuelling operations completed its maiden flight from Getafe, Spain on 2 July 2026, with the Canadian Department of National Defence announcing the milestone on 7 July. Airbus converts A330 passenger jets into MRTT standard at Getafe. The aircraft has already been outfitted with a centreline fuel transfer boom and two wing-mounted hose-and-drogue refuelling pods. Each CC-330 Husky will carry up to 111,000 kilograms of fuel and support a minimum of six Royal Canadian Air Force fighters across the Atlantic in a single leg. First delivery to the RCAF is expected in 2027.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Air Canada Boeing 737 Max Veers Off Taxiway Onto Rough Ground at Montréal After Rain Landing
An Air Canada Boeing 737 Max veered off a taxiway and rolled onto rough ground at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport following a landing in rain, FlightGlobal reported on 10 July 2026. No injuries were reported among those on board. The aircraft departed the paved taxiway surface after landing and came to rest on adjacent rough ground. No information on aircraft damage, the specific taxiway route, or circumstances leading to the departure from the paved surface was available at the time of initial reporting. Canadian transportation safety authorities are expected to investigate the occurrence.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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