UAM: Urban Aerial Mobility
eVTOL: Electrical Vertical Take-off Or Landing (Red.)
Joby eVTOL Involved In Testing Accident
One of air taxi developer Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype aircraft was involved in an accident during flight testing on Wednesday in Jolon, California. The aircraft, which is one of two Joby prototypes, was being piloted remotely and no one was injured in the accident. The extent of the damage to the prototype and potential causes of the accident have not been made public.
“Safety is a core value for Joby, which is why we have been expanding our flight envelope with a remote pilot and in an uninhabited area, especially as we operate outside expected operating conditions,” the company wrote in a disclosure statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “Experimental flight test programs are intentionally designed to determine the limits of aircraft performance, and accidents are unfortunately a possibility. We will be supporting the relevant authorities in investigating the accident thoroughly.”
As previously reported by AVweb, Joby announced last November that it plans to certify its eVTOL as a traditional airplane rather than a multirotor. Its air taxi design, which seats a pilot and four passengers, is expected to have a top speed of 200 MPH and a range of up to 150 miles. The company is targeting 2024 for the aircraft’s entry-into-service.
NTSB investigating Joby aircraft crash
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of a Joby Aviation experimental aircraft on Wednesday in Jolon, California.
The incident involved a prototype that was being remotely piloted during flight testing at Joby's test base in California, according to regulatory filings. During the early testing phase of aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration often requires aircraft to be uncrewed for safety reasons.
There were no injuries in the crash, and the test was conducted in an uninhabited area, the company reported.
"Experimental flight test programs are intentionally designed to determine the limits of aircraft performance, and accidents are unfortunately a possibility," reads the filing. "We will be supporting the relevant authorities in investigating the accident thoroughly."
The NTSB investigates most serious incidents and reports on everything from aviation accidents to certain types of highway crashes to ship incidents and bridge failures. Joby's crash on Wednesday caused "substantial damage" to the aircraft, NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson told Bloomberg.
Joby's shares are down 9% in after-hours trading.
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar
Merk: Bare medlemmer av denne bloggen kan legge inn en kommentar.