Non Revenue Flights

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Article Information
Category:	General
Content source:	SKYbrary
Content control:	EUROCONTROL

Contents 1 Definition 2 Description 3 Related Articles 4 Further Reading

Definition

Flights which are conducted for non revenue purposes such as:

• Ferry and positioning
• Flying Displays
• Airworthiness Function / Check flights
• Flight crew base trainimg

Description

Non Revenue Flights have often been identified as attracting a greater risk of an accident or serious incident than the revenue flights which form the main business of any operator of commercial aircraft. In many respects, the causes of increased risk for this type of flight are similar to those which have been associated with a slightly wider sub group of flights - Non Standard Flights.

Related Articles

Loss of Control

• Loss of Control
• Mitigating Risk for Non Standard Flights

Accident & Incident Reports

A selection of accidents and events which have occurred on non-revenue flights:

• A320, vicinity Perpignan France, 2008 (LOC HF AW) (On 27 November 2008, an A320 operated by XL Airways Germany, crashed into the sea at Canet Plage, France, following loss of control, without recovery, during a low speed handling test attempted at low altitude as part of a function flight.)
• AS32 / B734, Aberdeen UK, 2000 (AGC RI HF) (A British Airways Boeing 737-400 departing from Aberdeen was obliged to make a high speed rejected tale off to avoid a possible collision with an AS332 helicopter on an air test detail which had hover-taxied contrary to its clearance from the cleared holding point into a position above the upwind end of the departure runway. It was found that the GND controller had issued a departure clearance to the helicopter and transferred it to TWR without the required reiteration of the still-valid ‘hold position’ instruction and that this had been interpreted by the helicopter crew as cancelling that instruction.)
• AS55, vicinity Fairview Alberta Canada, 1999 (AW HF FIRE) (On 28th April 1999, an AS-355 helicopter suffered an in-flight fire attributed to an electrical fault which had originated from a prior maintenance error undetected during incomplete pre-flight inspections. The aircraft carried out an immediate landing allowing evacuation before the aircraft was destroyed by an intense fire.)
• AT72, en route, southern Scotland UK, 2011 (LOC AW HF) (On 15 March 2011, an ATR 72-200 being operated by Irish company Air Contractors on a non revenue positioning flight from Edinburgh to Paris CDG in night VMC with just the two pilots on board began to experience roll and directional control difficulties as the aircraft accelerated upon reaching the planned cruise altitude of FL230. A ‘PAN’ call was made to ATC and a return to Edinburgh was made with successful containment of the malfunctioning flying controls.)
• B190 / BE9L, Quincy IL USA, 1996 (RI AGC HF) (On 19 October 1996, a Beech 1900 landing at Quincy, Illinois, USA, collided with a Beech 90 King Air on take off roll on an intersecting runway.)
• … further results

Further Reading

• UK CAA Check Flight Handbook, Issue 2.2, 22 April 2009.