Icon Restructure /Chopper Accident

Welcome to **Aviation Newsletter**, your go-to podcast for the latest updates in the world of aviation. I'm Claire. This podcast is brought to you by the dedicated team at Starrime. We're excited to bring you the latest news, insights, and stories from the skies. Whether you're an aviation enthusiast, a frequent flyer, or just curious about what's happening in the industry, you're in the right place.Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section. If you prefer to follow along in Chinese, we've got you covered—our podcast is available in both English and Chinese.So, without further ado, let's dive into today's newsletters.HondaJets Experience Runway Overruns in Oregon, FloridaBy MATT THURBER • Editor-in-ChiefApril 11, 2025Two HondaJets experienced runway overruns in the past week, with one ending up in the water at Coos Bay, Oregon, and another in the grass at Florida’s Naples Airport (KAPF). According to AIN research, there have been 20 HondaJet runway excursions, including eight since publication in September 2023 of a story comparing excursions between aircraft types.The Naples HondaJet, N48HM, departed from Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (KSHD) in Virginia on April 9 and landed on 6,600-foot-long Runway 05. Photos of the HondaJet appear to show no damage, and the sole occupant was uninjured.On April 7, HondaJet N826E took off from St. George Regional Airport (KSGU) in Utah and touched down at North Bend Airport (KOTH) at 6:12 a.m. on 5,980-foot-long Runway 05. Most of the five occupants were injured.A person who claimed to be a passenger on that flight commented on a video that Juan Browne posted to his “blancolirio” YouTube channel. He wrote: “I was one of the passengers in this accident. We touched down. I felt the brakes come on briefly after touch down. After that it was absolutely nothing and into the water we went, after the pilot narrowly threaded the needle and steered us off the right between the runway lights and a building. Both would have killed us if we hit them.”Bell LongRanger Crashes into Hudson River, Killing SixBy MATT THURBER • Editor-in-ChiefApril 10, 2025A Bell 206L4 LongRanger helicopter crashed into the Hudson River at about 3:15 p.m.on April 10th. A video that captured the accident appears to show the airframe, without its tail boom, descending into the river also without its main rotor blades, which can be seen still rotating but separated from the rest of the helicopter, along with other parts. The main portion of the helicopter crashed into the water near Pier 25, followed by the main rotor blades further west but still in the river.AirNav Radar flight tracking captured the final ADS-B signal showing the helicopter descending at 3,456 fpm.The helicopter is registered to Meridian Helicopters in Broussard, Louisiana, according to the FAA’s registry database. It was operated by New York Helicopter Charter, according to the Private Aviation Safety Alliance’s database of charter operators.According to news reports, the six people aboard the helicopter perished. The FAA issued a statement saying that it and the NTSB will investigate the accident and that the NTSB “will lead the investigation and provide any updates.”During a briefing today, the NTSB said it had recovered the helicopter's airframe and engine, and dive teams are recovering more of the wreckage. The pilot had logged 450 hours of flight time, and the NTSB was still researching how much of that was in a Bell 206-L4.Flight Design and Icon Restructure Under Chinese OwnersBy AMY WILDER • WriterApril 10, 2025A new investor and plans for a new facility in Germany were recent changes announced by Flight Design during the company’s press conference at Aero Friedrichshafen on Wednesday. The light aircraft manufacturer has weathered storms, from the war in Ukraine that pushed it to relocate several years ago to headquarters in Germany and production facilities in the Czech Republic to financial insolvency in December. Flight Design's leadership team was vague about where exactly in Germany it would be relocating, telling reporters simply that they were planning to move to an airfield in the country. It will continue production at Šumperk, Czech Republic, with a focus on spare parts supply. On March 25, Flight Design General Aviation was acquired by the Shang Gong Group, a Shanghai-based publicly-listed company. This acquisition is expected to provide Flight Design with the necessary working capital to continue production. With this capital, the company announced it has restarted aircraft production, with NVFR and IFR certification rolling forward for the F2 model, which is EASA CS23 certified. The company currently hopes to produce between four and six aircraft per month by year-end, with the Šumperk plant extended to a capacity of 100 airplanes per year. Connection with Icon AircraftAt Flight Design’s Aero Friedrichshafen 2025 display is an Icon A5 airplane. Last April, U.S.-based Icon Aircraft filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a strategic restructuring process. In August, Icon announced its asset sale to SG Investment America, the U.S. subsidiary of German-based manufacturer Dürkopp Adler—the parent entity of which is ShangGong Group—in August.Then in December, Icon announced plans to transition a portion of its manufacturing operations to a facility in China. Concurrently, Icon president Jason Huang resigned, with Lily Hu appointed to take his place. The company said it would maintain a strong presence at its headquarters in Vacaville, California. Its production has been primarily at Tijuana, Mexico, with a final assembly facility located in Vacaville, California; with the new investment, some production will move to China, according to Huang’s parting letter to Icon owners.That’s all for this episode of Aviation Newsletter. Thank you for listening.  Podcast by: LunaSound Edited:  PriscillaAviation Newsletter is brought to you by the Starrime team.You can catch our podcast on all major podcast platforms.  We also look forward to seeing your comments.  See you soon.