Bombardier Inc. intends to proceed with the testing program for its Global 7000 business jet, despite an “in-flight flameout” during testing on August 16. The jet-builder issued a statement to say that that the new aircraft’s “flight and ground test campaigns continue on track for entry-into-service in the second half of 2018”.
The incident involved one of the GE Aviation Passport jet engines installed on flight-test vehicle 2 (FTV2) being operated by Bombardier’s Wichita-based flight test group, while flying over Kansas, reportedly at 41,000 feet, generally understood to be the upper limit for altitude for business and personal aircraft.
According to an incident report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board of Canada (Bombardier is headquartered in Montreal), the right engine flameout was preceded by “high vibration and high inter-turbine temperature readings”.
The flight crew declared an emergency and carried out a single engine landing in Wichita, without further event.
“Bombardier and GE have determined that the root cause of last week’s reported occurrence was an isolated event,” the jet builder stated.
The Bombardier Global 7000 and Global 8000 are ultra long-range business jets under development by Bombardier Business Aircraft.
The GE Passport is a high-bypass turbofan jet engine derived from the LEAP engine developed by CFM International, GE Aviation / Safran Aircraft Engines joint venture), and its primary application will be the new Bombardier jets. The engine earned Federal Aviation Association (FAA) certification in early 2016.
The Global 7000 aircraft program’s flight and ground test campaigns continue on track for entry-into-service in the second half of 2018, according to Bombardier. It noted that the first six customer aircraft are in production now, and final assembly line activities are “ramping up.”
