Aviation

Embraer Announces Firm Order for 20 E-Jets from SkyWest

São José dos Campos, Brazil, October 2^nd, 2017 – Embraer today announced a firm order from SkyWest, Inc. (SkyWest) (NASDAQ: SKYW) for 20 E-Jets. The order has a value of USD 914 million, based on current list prices, and will be included in Embraer’s 2017 third-quarter backlog. Combined with last month’s announcement for 25 new aircraft, today’s order results in a cumulative order of 45 new aircraft placed by SkyWest with Embraer in 2017.

Of the 20 aircraft, SkyWest will receive 15 E175 SC (Special Configuration) aircraft, in a 70-seat configuration. The E175 SC aircraft features an E175 airframe, which can be retrofitted to 76 seats in the future. SkyWest will also receive five E175s, in a 76-seat configuration, similar to aircraft SkyWest has previously ordered.

Including this new contract, Embraer has sold more than 380 E175 jets to airlines in North America since January 2013, earning more than 80% of all orders in the 76-seat jet segment.

Since entering revenue service, the E-Jets family has received more than 1,700 orders and over 1,300 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleets of 70 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 130-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”