Aviation

Two sunbathers killed as light plane lands on beach

Terrified sunbathers ran into the sea as a plane hurtled towards them on a packed Portuguese beach, killing a man and an eight-year-old girl.
The victims, who were sunbathing at the time, died as the light aircraft made an emergency landing at the Sao Joao beach on Portugal’s Costa de Caparica coastline, near the city of Setubal.

The victims are understood to be aged 50 and eight and police are now questioning the two pilots aboard the plane.

Hundreds of people were on the beach at Caparica, 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Lisbon, and bystanders reportedly ran into the sea to avoid the plane.
Police chiefs said the two people on board the plane had survived and were being questioned.
Witnesses told local television channels the girl who was killed was with her parents at the time, who were unhurt. They claim the plane ‘passed over the dead man’s legs as he sunbathed on a towel’.

Police have ruled out witness reports several other people had been injured.
Maritime Police Chief Pedro Coelho Dias, confirming the two deaths, said: ‘The victims are a man and an eight-year-old girl.
‘They were hit by the plane and died at the scene.’
The nationalities of the victims is not yet known and is not clear if they were related.
Courtesy : daily mail

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.