Dornier 328

The Dornier 328 is a turboprop-powered commuter airliner. Initially produced by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, the firm was acquired in 1996 by Fairchild Aircraft. The resulting firm, named Fairchild-Dornier, manufactured the 328 family in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, conducted sales from San Antonio, Texas, United States, and supported the product line from both locations. There is also a jet-powered version of the aircraft, being the Fairchild Dornier 328JET.

Design and development
The 328 (or Do 328) program was initially begun while Dornier was still owned by Deutsche Aerospace. The basic 328 first flew on 6 December 1991, and entered commercial service in October 1993. The 328's new fuselage allowed for comfortable three-abreast seating, with the potential for a four-abreast configuration. Combined with the supercritical wing developed from Dornier's Do 228, this gave the 328 excellent cruise and climb capabilities. However, the 328 entered a market crowded with other competing turboprop aircraft at the time, as well as increasing competition from new regional jets in the early 1990s.

In 2005, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) awarded a contract to AeroRescue for long-range Search and Rescue (SAR) capability around Australia. Five 328-100s were progressively commissioned from April 2006 to February 2007 and stationed around the Australian coastline to provide a 24 hour, 30 minute response capability. The aircraft were equipped with a comprehensive electronic sensor suite by Aerodata AG in Germany including; Israel Aerospace Industries ELTA EL/M 2022A Radar, FSI Star SAFire III Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR), Direction Finder and an ARGON ST Infra Red/Ultra Violet scanner. The aircraft are also fitted with an Aeronautical Engineers Australia dispatch system, allowing rescue stores to be dropped from the aircraft through a chute through the underwing emergency exit. These are progressively being upgraded with an inflight opening cargo door to allow dispatch of larger items, up to 20-man life rafts and boat dewatering pumps for open water rescues.

328 Support Services GmbH has held the type certificate for this aircraft since June 2006.

Variants



 * 328-100 - Initial 328.
 * 328-110 - Standard 328 with greater range and weights
 * 328-120 - 328 with improved STOL performance.
 * 328-130 - 328 with progressive rudder authority reduction at higher airspeeds.
 * 328JET - Turbofan-powered variant, formerly the 328-300.

Operators
In August 2013 a total of 166 remain in operation with 44 Dornier 328-100 aircraft in airline service. Major operators include: Loganair (6), and Sky Work Airlines (5). Thirteen other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.


 * Australian Maritime Safety Authority
 * Botswana Defence Force Air Wing
 * Calm Air (2) 328Jet
 * Central Mountain Air (2)
 * Pratt & Whitney Canada (1) 328Jet
 * Aerolinea de Antioquia (4, 2 from Avianca Ecuador)
 * Aerocardal (2)
 * Sun Air of Scandinavia (14)
 * XpressAir (8) 6 328-100s, 2 328-300s
 * Sky Work Airlines (5)
 * Loganair (5)
 * City Jet(2)
 * Vision Airlines (2)
 * Sun Air of Scandinavia (14)
 * XpressAir (8) 6 328-100s, 2 328-300s
 * Sky Work Airlines (5)
 * Loganair (5)
 * City Jet(2)
 * Vision Airlines (2)
 * Loganair (5)
 * City Jet(2)
 * Vision Airlines (2)
 * Vision Airlines (2)
 * Vision Airlines (2)


 * Privat operation (100)

The Dornier 328 turboprop was also operated in the past in scheduled passenger service by several U.S. regional airlines including Air Wisconsin, Horizon Air, Lone Star Airlines, and Mountain Air Express. In addition, the aircraft was previously used to provide passenger feeder services in the U.S. operating as United Express and US Airways Express flights.

Accidents

 * On 25 February 1999, Minerva Airlines Flight 1553 on a flight from Cagliari-Elmas Airport to Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport in Italy. Upon landing on runway 29 the aircraft ran off the end of the runway and crashed into the sea. Four of the 31 passengers and crew died in the accident.