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| Gauging the Real Costs of ADS-B | back to top |  |
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Reaction To ADS-B Plan Tepid
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The FAA has a lot of input to consider as it takes the first steps toward implementing its NextGen airspace and air traffic control system.
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| Flying May Be Liberating, But It Isn't Free | back to top | |
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Groups Urge FAA Funding Passage
GA Gets A Tax Break
More details and analysis of the new law can be found at Advocate Consulting's Web site. |
A coalition of 35 business, political and aviation organizations has sent a joint letter to the Senate requesting that a long-term FAA reauthorization bill be given top priority. In a news release
Airports International Council President Greg Principato says aviation is too important to languish in the legislative ether and the organizations just want something passed. “While individual
goals are diverse [like, say between the Portland Cement Association and the Airline Pilots Association], the organizations are unified in recognizing the importance of advancing a multiyear FAA
reauthorization legislation,” Principato said. But the letter is noteworthy as much for who didn’t sign as who did, including the two largest general aviation groups. Conspicuously absent
from the list are AOPA and EAA, although the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association lent their names to the letter. Those four organizations
have, to this point, anyway, presented a unified front on the FAA funding issue. Also not on the list is the Air Transport Association, which represents most U.S. airlines and is the lead organization
promoting the institution of user fees. It was too late to get comment from the groups before our deadline on Wednesday.
When Congress passed a tax law back in 2003 that allowed buyers of new general aviation aircraft to depreciate up to 50 percent of the
value in the first year (providing the aircraft was bought for business use), the incentive was credited with helping to
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| Eyes on the Skies | back to top | |
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DC ADIZ Subject of Renewed SBA Watchdog Effort
NTSB To Hold Safety Forum About Unmanned Aircraft
The forum will include representatives from the military, industry, the FAA, and government agencies involved in UAS operations. Interested members of the aviation community and general public are encouraged to attend. A forum agenda will be announced in mid-April. Representatives from the UAS industry also are invited to set up display booths and unmanned aircraft vehicle scale models that demonstrate unmanned aircraft systems and technologies. A live and archived webcast of the forum will be available on the board's Web site. |
The Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (
The growing use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System is raising a number of safety concerns, and the NTSB said
this week it will address them all in a three-day forum, April 29 to May 1, in Washington, D.C. The forum will provide an opportunity for the board and interested parties to discuss issues such as
regulatory standards, perspectives of current UAS operators, certification and airworthiness, perspectives of current users of the National Airspace System (that would be all of us), and future UAS
applications. The forum is a result of the safety board's investigation into the crash of a Predator B unmanned aircraft near Nogales, Ariz., in April 2006. "The Nogales accident surfaced a number of
important questions that need to be addressed if UAS's are to operate safely in the National Air Space," said board member Kitty
Higgins, who will chair the forum. The board's investigation of the Nogales accident resulted in 22 safety recommendations to address deficiencies associated with the civilian use of unmanned
aircraft. "We are very interested in the military's experience with UAS's, training of pilots, maintenance of the aircraft, communication with Air Traffic Control and oversight of UAS operations by
public-use agencies and other operators," Higgins said.
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| Familiar Names, Fresh Starts | back to top | |
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Tempest Finalizes Precision MSA Carburetor Acquisition
ATG Stirring Back To Life?
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The Tempest Plus Marketing Group of Greenville, S.C., announced this week that it has formed a new company called Volare Carburetors
to complete its acquisition of Precision Airmotive’s MSA line of carburetors and spare parts. The new company will be headquartered in Gibsonville, N.C. All Volare MSA carburetors and components
will be marketed under the Tempest brand and are available for immediate shipment, the company said. John Herman, Tempest’s vice president of marketing and sales, said in a prepared statement,
“We are very excited that the acquisition process has concluded and we may now begin supplying the industry with a much needed product.” MSA carburetors are used in most normally aspirated
Continental, Lycoming and Franklin engines. 
When start-up aviation companies throw in the towel it’s almost unheard of for them to come out for another round, but Aviation Technology Group (ATG) is apparently game for another swing at
developing its sexy two-place “executive” jet, the Javelin. The Colorado company suspended operations in December and a news release issued Tuesday says the board of directors has
successfully renegotiated deals with its main lenders. Now, the company is in a position to look for a buyer to (hopefully) fund the completion of the certification process and starting production,
which could run $200 million. “Multiple teams are pursuing a list of potential buyers,” the release said. “Though subject to change, the general plan in this regard is to ask for best
and final offer bids from prospective buyers to reach ATG within the next few weeks.” The Javelin is always a crowd pleaser at airshows but its curb appeal may not be what saves it. Although
there will certainly be civilian demand for the fighter-like aircraft, a large part of the development effort is focused on military trainers, including possibly a supersonic version. Israeli Aircraft
Industries is involved with development of the military version, which comes with ejection seats and military avionics.
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| News Briefs | back to top | |
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Husky Takes Aim At New Efficiency Record
Maynard flew an Aviat Husky A-1A equipped with a Lycoming 0-360 engine, a 76-inch Hartzell propeller and standard 52-gallon fuel tanks. To compete for the record, an aircraft must be weighed, flown without stopping or refueling along an approved triangular course, then weighed again. The fuel burn is calculated by the difference in weight.
Pilot's Shortcut Doesn't Cut It With Police
A crane and a flatbed removed the airplane from the landing site. |
The ink wasn't even dry on the 
An Illinois pilot who tried to beat traffic and fly his son to a tennis match -- landing his ski-equipped 1949 Piper
Clipper on a snow-covered golf course -- is being investigated by the FAA. Police arrived at the scene Saturday afternoon after concerned neighbors called to report a crash, and found pilot Robert
Kadera, 65, and his 14-year-old son trudging through the snow, the
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NASM Leader Don Lopez, 84, Dies
"Don’s contribution to the museum cannot be overstated," museum director Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey said. "For 35 years, he was the guiding spirit, contributing his vast knowledge of aviation, exceptional leadership skills, unflagging enthusiasm, and a sense of humor that endeared him to all."
Airbus Almost Loses It in Nasty Winds
A Lufthansa A320 with 130 passengers onboard nearly crashed during its landing approach to the Fuhlsbuettel airport in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday in winds gusting as high as 55 mph. Amateur video footage shows the airliner approaching the runway at a substantial crab angle in rain and gusts. Moments after the unidentified pilot kicked out the crab prior to touchdown, the left winglet scraped the runway. "Just before landing, the plane was hit by a very strong gust of wind that led to the left wing touching the ground very briefly," Juergen Raps, Lufthansa executive vice president of operations, told the Reuters news agency. "The pilots reacted outstandingly by inducing a go-around." The Associated Press said that the jet landed on a different runway about 10 minutes later with no injuries reported. Various news agencies reported gale force winds caused flight delays throughout Germany, but no information was available as to why the Lufthansa flight attempted to land in such adverse conditions.
On the Fly...The International Civil Aviation Organization has extended the deadline to March 2009 for pilots who operate internationally to have a certificate stating they are proficient in English...
Mistubishi has asked Toyota to invest in its regional-jet project, which could produce a new 70- to 90-seat aircraft by 2012...
Substandard parts have been used on airliners because the FAA and airlines lack effective oversight of those making and selling the parts, according to a report by the Department of Transportation Inspector General...
The National Aeronautic Association will award the Collier Trophy on Thursday, given to honor the "greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America"...
The V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor will fly in to the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In for the first time, next month in Florida...
SeaMax USA has delivered its first new flying boat SLSA to a U.S. pilot. SeaMax believes this is the first flying boat delivery to a retail customer certified under the ASTM standards.
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Donald S. Lopez, 84, author, aviator, and deputy director of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington,
D.C., died of a heart attack on March 3. Lopez joined the Smithsonian in 1972 as part of the team that planned the NASM, which opened in July 1976. "The nation has lost a true hero and the Smithsonian
has lost a great leader," Smithsonian Institution acting secretary Cristián Samper said in a 
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Columns | Features | What's New | Calendar | Brainteasers
Probable Cause #53: Untimely DistractionA Caravan pilot stalls and crashes during a critical phase of the approach. A caution light may have drawn his attention from flying the airplane.
Click here for the full story.
Distractions that occur during periods of high workload can create problems for pilots, especially if the event pulling the pilot's focus away from flying the airplane appears to be a major system component failure. With a two-pilot crew, this danger is greatly reduced, since one pilot can continue to fly the aircraft while the other tries to fix the problem. But pilots who fly single-pilot IFR don't have the luxury of having someone else in the cockpit to do the troubleshooting.
Steady To Steamboat Springs
At 4:33 a.m. MDT on May 5, 2001, the pilot of a Cessna Caravan contacted the Casper Automated Flight Service Station and requested current weather for several stations between Casper, Wyo., and Steamboat Springs, Colo. Weather for Steamboat Springs wasn't available, so the briefer gave the pilot the weather for Hayden, Colo., 21 miles west of Steamboat Springs. Hayden reported winds from 270 degrees at nine kts, four miles visibility, scattered clouds at 400 feet, a broken ceiling at 2500 feet and an overcast layer at 4800 feet. The temperature was 4 degrees C and the dew-point was 3 degrees C. AIRMETs called for occasional moderate rime and mixed icing in clouds and precipitation from 8000 to 20,000 feet, obscured mountains and occasional moderate turbulence above Flight Level 180. The pilot was employed by a Billings, Mont.-based cargo company that flew freight under contract for Federal Express. Operating as Airspur Flight 8810, he was scheduled to fly from Casper to the Bob Adams Field (KSBS) in Steamboat Springs, a distance of approximately 150 nm. By 7:36 a.m., the Cessna had been loaded with 270 pounds of cargo and the pilot contacted Casper Ground Control for his instrument clearance. Six minutes later he was cleared for takeoff and, at 7:44 a.m., he contacted the Casper departure controller. The pilot was given vectors to intercept V26 and told to climb to 13,000 feet. At 7:58 a.m. the aircraft was switched over to Denver Center. While on that frequency, a broadcast was made informing pilots of a hazardous weather AIRMET for areas west of the Mississippi River. Pilots were advised to contact Flight Watch or Flight Service for more information. The accident report did not mention that the Caravan pilot talked to Flight Service or received any weather updates while en route. Approaching Steamboat Springs, the pilot requested the VOR/DME-C approach into KSBS with the intention of landing on Runway 32. The flight was cleared for the approach via the Robert VORTAC 280 degree radial 9 DME fix and the 9 DME arc. At 8:39 a.m. the pilot was advised that radar services were terminated and that he was cleared to leave the frequency. There would be no further contact with the pilot.
Missing
When by 9:23 a.m. Denver Center had not gotten an acknowledgment that the pilot was on the ground, the process was begun to locate the overdue aircraft. This included asking pilots flying in the area to try to contact the aircraft and check for ELT signals. There was no response. At 10:34 a.m. an official Alert Notice was issued for the aircraft. At approximately 9:45 a.m., a pilot who also flew for the company was notified that the aircraft was missing. He checked on the aircraft's last known position and drove to KSBS. He arrived at around 12:15 p.m., where he found a search and rescue preparing to initiate a ground search. The pilot located a student of his and together they took off in the latter's Cessna 170 heading for the area where the Caravan was last seen on radar. At 12:55 p.m. they located the wreckage of the Caravan on the side of Emerald Mountain about half a mile south of the Robert VOR (BQZ). The VOR is located 2.9 nm from the airport and serves as the final approach fix (FAF). According to witnesses on the ground, the Steamboat Springs weather around the time of the accident was a 600-foot overcast ceiling, 1-1/2 miles visibility in misting rain and a temperature of 36 degrees F. The pilot of a Swearingen Metroliner landed his airplane at Hayden around the time of the accident. He reported to investigators that his aircraft accumulated a "dusting" of ice on departure from Denver, but that he did not pick up any ice on the way into Hayden, nor did he hear any reports of anyone else picking up ice in that vicinity. He told investigators that he and his co-pilot heard the Caravan pilot talking to the Denver Center controller and was puzzled as to why the pilot would ask for an approach where the ceiling was much lower than the minimum descent altitude (MDA) of 8,140 feet, or 1,262 feet agl. He was basing this on the ceiling reported on the Hayden AWOS. Another pilot flew the approach into Hayden shortly after the accident happened. He reported no icing encounter during the approach and he told investigators that the weather conditions included a "2000 to 3000-foot thick overcast layer that was improving." The Caravan was equipped for flight into known icing conditions. The wings and tail had deice boots installed and the windshield had an anti-ice system. The cargo pod and landing gear struts were also fitted with a deice system. The aircraft was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, but it was equipped with a power analyzer and recorder, an onboard computer that records and stores engine operating parameters. The NTSB downloaded the data from the computer and found that normal power parameters were recorded for the flight. On-site investigators found that the aircraft struck the ground on a magnetic heading of 145 degrees, which is close to the 172 degree reciprocal of the VOR/DME-C inbound approach course. The angle of terrain impact was approximately 40 degrees, which was measured by studying the damage to the severed treetops. This, along with other damage patterns, suggested that the airplane crashed as a result of a stall. The airplane impacted terrain at an elevation of 7864 feet. There was no evidence of pre- or post-impact fire, but search and rescue personnel reported a strong odor of jet fuel at the scene. They also stated that they saw no evidence of airframe icing.
Time In TypeThe 44-year-old pilot held a multiengine ATP with Commercial privileges in single-engine aircraft. He had a current medical certificate and received his initial Caravan checkout 11 months prior to the accident. With the exception of some incomplete entries in the pilot's logbook, NTSB investigators listed the pilot's flight time as approximately 3041 hours, of which 1834 hours were in single-engine airplanes and 1186 hours in multiengine airplanes. (The NTSB does not explain the 21 hours discrepancy between the pilot's single and multi time and total time, although he did have 21 hours of what the Board called "simulator" time). The pilot also had logged 206.4 hours of actual instrument time, 96 hours of simulated instrument time and 37.9 hours in the Caravan. It appears that the pilot did not begin flying the Caravan exclusively until approximately five weeks before the accident occurred. Between 1999 and 2001, he logged 16 separate icing encounters in his logbook. One of them resulted in a return to Helena, when he noted that he could not get to 8000 feet due to icing in a climb. He was flying a Cessna 402 at the time for a different employer.
Wrong Switch?
Investigators reviewed recorded radar data that showed the aircraft shortly after it took off from Casper until the last radar hit was recorded at 8:56 a.m., when the aircraft was on the approach at 9400 feet. Everything seemed normal as the aircraft turned inbound on the final approach course to BQZ and began what appeared to be a normal descent. At 8:53:03 a.m., the aircraft corrected slightly to the left on the inbound course. At 8:55:39 a.m., the target was 0.75 miles to the northwest at 9,700 feet. On the next radar hit the aircraft was 0.5 miles southeast at 9,600 feet. The last radar target showed the aircraft 0.5 miles northwest at 9,400 feet. The aircraft wreckage was located 0.75 miles east-northeast of the last radar contact. During the investigation, selected bulbs from the aircraft's annunciator panel were examined visually, under a stereomicroscope and by a scanning electron microscope. According to the report, the condition of the tungsten-alloy filaments indicated that the "Generator Off" and "Windshield Anti-Ice" lights were illuminated at the time of the accident. Given the potential that icing conditions existed in the area, it would not have been odd for the windshield anti-ice light to be on. What drew the attention of the investigators, however, was the generator warning. The Cessna 208 Pilots Operating Handbook states that illumination of the generator off light indicates a generator disconnection due to line surges, tripped circuit breakers, or accidental switch operation. The operator's chief pilot told investigators that the aircraft's Before Landing Checklist requires that the ignition switch be placed in the "on" position. The start switch is located next to the ignition switch and inadvertent operation of the start switch would take the generator off line, thereby illuminating the generator off light and the standby power lights. Unfortunately, due to the destruction of the instrument panel during impact, it was not possible to verify the position of the ignition and start switches. Regardless, the loss of the generator would undoubtedly have been distracting to the pilot during a time when he was focusing on flying an instrument approach in IMC. At about the time the pilot would be expected to complete his Before Landing Checklist, the aircraft began its track back and forth across the course. Could it be that the pilot was troubleshooting the problem while trying to fly the approach? The NTSB seems to indirectly back this theory. It determined the probable cause as, "... an inadvertent stall during an instrument approach, which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing factors were the pilot's attention being diverted by an abnormal indication, conditions conducive to airframe icing, and the pilot's lack of total experience in the type of operation (icing conditions) in [the] aircraft make [and] model."
Know Thy AircraftSo, what can we learn from this accident so that we don't encounter a similar situation? First, make certain you are completely familiar with the aircraft's systems in any aircraft that you fly, especially if you fly in IFR single-pilot operations. We don't know if the pilot realized what caused the illumination of the generator off light, but it does appear that when it illuminated he was distracted from his main duty, which was flying the aircraft. When a system failure follows immediately or shortly after you complete a checklist item, go back and check if that action caused the problem. Check the switch or series of switches you last changed to make certain you didn't inadvertently turn the wrong one(s) on or off. Think about how far along the approach course you are. Can you continue and land with no effect from the system failure? In this case, the aircraft was approximately three miles from the runway, but the weather conditions were suspect. From the reported weather, it did not appear that the approach would be successful. Would the aircraft's batteries provide enough power to get from Steamboat Springs to Hayden for another approach? If you have an electrical failure in instrument conditions and cannot correct the problem by resetting the generator or alternator immediately, reduce power consumption for conservation. If you are in conditions conducive to icing but no icing is present, you probably want to consider shutting of any electrically powered anti-ice equipment. The aircraft's batteries will not power that equipment for very long and you don't want to risk losing all of your instrumentation due to battery failure. The Caravan pilot never had a chance to consider his alternatives because the aircraft stalled and crashed into the terrain. It would appear that he allowed himself to be distracted to the point where the aircraft's speed was reduced to the point of stall, and once that occurred there was no recovery from it. Remember, if you don't fly the aircraft first, nothing else you do is going to make much of a difference.
More accident analyses are available in AVweb's Probable Cause Index. And for monthly articles about IFR flying including accident reports like this one, subscribe to AVweb's sister publication, IFR Refresher. // -->
Question of the Week: The Spring Thaw — How Much Flying Did You Do Over the Winter Months?This Week's Question | Previous Week's Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** The AFSS system has been privatized for a while now, and last week we asked AVweb readers about their recent flight service experiences. The biggest segment of respondents (a full 41%) told us the state of FSS is terrible, and I'm increasingly using alternatives. For the complete breakdown of reader answers, click here. THIS WEEK'S QUESTION *** As the days get longer and warmer, flying suddenly seems a little easier to do than it did during the winter months — and a lot more appealing. But before you take to the springtime skies, tell us: How much of a damper did Old Man Winter put on your air time?
Have an idea for a new "Question of the Week"? Send your suggestions to . NOTE:
AVweb Insider Blog: Kitplanes Examines Experimental "51%" Solutions — Is Primary Category the Answer?Be sure to visit our new blog, AVweb Insider, for personal insights and commentary on the aviation industry from our staff of writers and editors. Today, Kitplanes editor Marc Cook sifts through the buzz around the so-called "51%" rule and asks, "Could, as the Aviation Rulemaking Committee suggests, Primary Category be the bridge between super-fast-build Experimentals and the turnkey (but noncertified) aircraft the market seems to demand? Is the so-far good record of LSA enough to make it viable?"
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| AVweb Media: Look, Listen, Learn and Laugh | back to top | |
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Exclusive Video: Dassault Falcon 7X Fly-by-Wire Business JetOriginal, Exclusive Videos from AVweb | Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos
Dassault has introduced a jet that changes the playing field for business jet manufacturers, operators and pilots. That jet is the $40 million Falcon 7X. In this exclusive video, AVweb
video editor Glenn Pew
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takes us inside the Falcon 7X.
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| Reader-Submitted Photos | back to top | |
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Picture of the Week: AVweb's Flying Photography ShowcaseSubmit a Photo | Rules | Tips | Questions | Past Winners Each week, we go through dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of reader-submitted photos and pick the very best to share with you on Thursday mornings. The top photos are featured on AVweb's home page, and one photo that stands above the others is awarded an AVweb baseball cap as our "Picture of the Week." Want to see your photo on AVweb.com? Click here to submit it to our weekly contest. *** THIS WEEK'S WINNERS *** We're a little pressed for time at "POTW" headquarters this week, so we'll dive right in and barrel through a few top-notch photos. (Maybe a little vicarious sunshine and fresh air will help us power through a beefy workload, eh?)
A quick note for submitters: If you've got several photos that you feel are "POTW" material, your best bet is to submit them one-a-week! That gives your photos a greater chance of seeing print on AVweb, and it makes the selection process a little easier on us, too. ;)
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AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter
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HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz? Reporting on breaking news,
Business AVflash focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry. Business AVflash is a must read. Sign up today at | Names Behind the News | back to top | |
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Meet the AVwebFlash TeamAVwebFlash is a weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.
The AVwebFlash team is:
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