Eclipse Aviation News

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Michael McConnell
Eclipse Aviation
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Eclipse Aviation Readies Change to Software For Eclipse 500 Engine Fault Condition

Eclipse 500 Fleet Fully Operational; Aircraft's Advanced Technologies Allow for Swift Problem Identification and Resolution

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - June 24, 2008 - Today Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the world's first very light jet (VLJ), announced that it will incorporate design improvements to the Eclipse 500^® software to prevent a rare engine fault that may occur if the aircraft's throttle levers are advanced with enough force to exceed the Eclipse 500's FAA-certified design limits. Eclipse intends to increase the range limit of the Throttle Quadrant Assembly (TQA) to prevent the fault condition, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These changes will be administered via a software update to all Eclipse 500 owners and operators.

"One of the advantages to having such a technologically-advanced aircraft is that we can quickly isolate the cause of an incident and then rapidly deliver a solution to our customers via a universal software update," said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "In contrast to traditional aviation industry approaches, the time and customer inconvenience factor saved is immeasurable."

Earlier this month an Eclipse 500 engine fault occurred during a landing at Chicago Midway International Airport. Within 24 hours, Eclipse had tapped the aircraft's advanced data collection and reporting system to determine that the fault was generated by an exceedance of the Eclipse 500's FAA-certified design limits. The company rapidly issued multiple communications to its customers making them aware of this issue, while providing guidance to help avoid the potential fault and, if necessary, effectively handle this occurrence. These communications were released in advance of the recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and an Airworthiness Directive (AD) from the FAA. Eclipse also updated the Eclipse 500 flight manual and quick reference handbook to provide pilot procedures on how to handle a similar incident.

Eclipse also announced today that of all the Eclipse 500 aircraft in customer operation, more than eighty percent have been inspected as directed by the AD. Of this group of inspected aircraft, seven have reported fault errors. Four of the seven reported faults were determined to be erroneous due to noise caused by normal operation of the TQA.

"Interestingly, an analysis of more than 12,000 hours of flight data from across our fleet collected through the Eclipse Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) system reveals that three Eclipse 500 aircraft have experienced the TQA range exceedance fault, and one was the aircraft in Chicago," said Raburn. "While this tells us there is an extremely low probability of this fault happening, we are moving very aggressively to ensure it will not occur again. We're working closely with both the staff members of the NTSB and the FAA to understand this condition fully, and put the necessary design improvements in place to safeguard our customers and our fleet."

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