Briefing October 2017

Flight Design, based in Germany, has long held a top spot in deliveries of light sport airplanes in the U.S., but it has been in receivership in Germany since February 2016. The company announced in July it now has new owners, Lift Air, from Eisenach, Germany. I am glad that we are able to maintain the know-how of one of the worlds market leaders in the light aircraft sector and to secure it with a well-funded investor, said Knut Rebholz, insolvency administrator. The company will now be called Flight Design General Aviation GmbH. Tom Peghiny, president of Flight Design USA, told AVweb hes thrilled with the news.

Editorial Staff

Monday, September 04, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Flight Design, a German light sport aircraft manufacturer, has new ownership under Lift Air, emerging from receivership since 2016.
The NTSB concluded that the fatal Icon A5 crash was due to pilot error, specifically failing to maintain terrain clearance at a low altitude, with no mechanical problems found.
The FAA issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive requiring inspections of over 1300 Lycoming engines from 2015-2016 for potentially off-spec connecting-rod small-end bushings.
AirVenture 2017 set a new attendance record of 590,000, attributed to favorable weather and a packed schedule of events.

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New Ownership At Flight Design

Flight Design, based in Germany, has long held a top spot in deliveries of light sport airplanes in the U.S., but it has been in receivership in Germany since February 2016. The company announced in July it now has new owners, Lift Air, from Eisenach, Germany. “I am glad that we are able to maintain the know-how of one of the world’s market leaders in the light aircraft sector and to secure it with a well-funded investor,” said Knut Rebholz, insolvency administrator. The company will now be called Flight Design General Aviation GmbH. Tom Peghiny, president of Flight Design USA, told AVweb he’s “thrilled” with the news.

NTSB Completes Icon Accident Report

The May 8 crash that took the lives of two Icon employees was caused by “the pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude,” the NTSB said in August in its final report on the crash. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s mistaken entry into a canyon surrounded by steep rising terrain while at a low altitude, for reasons that could not be determined. The investigators didn’t find any mechanical problem or failure with the Icon A5 light sport aircraft. Pilot Jon Karkow and passenger Cagri Sever died in the crash.