Volume 12, Number 3b — January 19, 2006

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The Top Headlines From AVweb's Expanded, Illustrated News Coverage At AVweb's NewsWire.

NTSB WANTS CARAVAN ICING RESTRICTIONS
The NTSB says the fatal crash of a Cessna 208 Caravan in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada last October "calls into serious question the certification of the Cessna 208 for flight into known icing conditions." A Jan. 17 letter from the board offers what may be the most scathing indictment yet of the popular turboprop's capabilities in ice. In that letter, the board told FAA Administrator Marion Blakey the aircraft shouldn't be allowed to fly in anything but "light" forecast ice and, that at the first sign of ice, pilots should keep airspeed at 120 knots or higher, even if it means descending. The board further recommends that the autopilot be shut off in icing conditions so pilots can detect differences in control forces that might indicate pre-stall conditions. "The Safety Board is very concerned about deficiencies in the cold weather operational procedures used by Cessna 208 pilots and the performance of the airplane in icing conditions," the board told Blakey. More...

RUSSIAN ACCIDENT FUELS CONCERNS
In November, a Grand Caravan was on approach to Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow when it dove to the ground from almost 5,000 feet. The difference with this flight was that Russian air regs required the Caravan to carry both cockpit voice and flight data recorders and investigators have been able to piece together the final moments of the flight in disturbing detail. The pilot reported "light" icing to Moscow tower (the CVR records the two pilots talking between themselves about "severe" icing) as they leveled off near their assigned altitude of 4,900 feet. The data recorder shows the airspeed dropping to 102 knots (the spec sheet stall speed is 61 knots) before the aircraft stalls and spirals earthward (hitting speeds of 226 knots in the dive). The POH establishes a minimum speed of 105 knots during icing conditions but the NTSB says, for now, that's cutting it too close. More...

FAA TAKES ACTION (BUT NOT WHAT THE NTSB SUGGESTS)
The FAA has been monitoring Caravan winter performance and issued an Airworthiness Directive last March requiring pilots to run their hand over the top surface of the wing to check for ice within five minutes of a departure in icing conditions. On Feb. 22, another AD will be adopted, augmenting the earlier AD and adding some new requirements. The cost of compliance for many Caravan owners will be at least $10,000. To make the tactile check easier for the pilot, the AD requires installation of a handle on the wing so the pilot can hang from the handle while running his or her other hand along the upper surface. The AD will also require de-icing boots on the cargo pod and landing gear fairings of aircraft destined for use in icing conditions and there will be some changes required in the Pilot's Operating Handbook section on flying in ice. Not all Caravans will be affected, however. More...

CESSNA SAYS CARAVAN IS SAFE IN ICE
Cessna is standing by its airplane. Spokeswoman Bree Cox told AVweb the approximately 1,500 Caravans have accumulated more than eight million flight hours with a 99.8 percent dispatch record. "The Caravan was certified by Cessna for flight into known icing to FAA standards and, if operated in accordance with our Pilot's Operating Handbook, is capable of safe flight in known icing," she said in an e-mail to AVweb. She said Cessna officials are studying the NTSB recommendations and preparations are underway to ensure parts are available for compliance with the AD. The icing issue has also kept Cessna's legal department hopping. More...

TURBINE FOR THE MASSES ALMOST READY (STILL)
A Pennsylvania company that says it can sell homebuilders a new turbine engine for about the same money as a certified piston engine of similar horsepower hopes to be fulfilling that elusive dream next month. This time, that means February (truth be told, we heard something very similar in August of '05 ... before that, in December of '04 ... and in April of '04, too). Charlie Sullivan, Innodyn's director of business development, this week told AVweb that the company is awaiting the arrival of a sophisticated dynamometer and a balancing machine to perform final tests on engines that are ready for shipment. What customers are waiting for are 188-pound turbines that put out 165 to 255 horsepower, with a TBO of 5,000 hours and price tag of between $26,500 and $34,500 (see AVweb's December "04 coverage for earlier details). Sullivan said he knows it sounds too good to be true to many people and that's why he's not anxious to make firm promises that the nature of groundbreaking technology can sometimes make difficult to keep. More...

PATIENT CUSTOMERS STAND BEHIND COMPANY
Although delivery dates have been pushed back (the company told AVweb a year ago that it hoped to be shipping within a month) at least one customer remains confident he'll (one day) have an Innodyn turbine pulling his RV-10. Dave Talley said the company called him last month to arrange delivery of his engine but he asked them to hang on to it since he doesn't even have the airframe kit, yet. Talley said the phone call indicates to him that the company is, indeed, finally ready to ship. "I think they're the real deal," he said. Even though the turbine will likely use more fuel, Innodyn says fuel burn is a lot better than most people expect, but, this time, gave no numbers (we've previously been told 7 gph per 100 hp) and said that the extra cost will be more than offset by the anticipated lower maintenance costs. More...

SECURITY REGS TURN AUSSIE PILOTS POLITICAL
The Australian Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is reportedly so upset with new security regulations on GA in that country, it's considering running candidates for the country's Senate in the next federal election. According to the Daily Mercury newspaper, AOPA Australia believes that up to 1,500 pilots will be grounded by the new regulations and the government has already warned members that anyone who flies without going through the recently mandated background checks is breaking the law. But even those who will likely clear the checks are at risk because of a massive backlog in the issuance of new Aviation Security Identification Cards. More...

RICHEST PURSE FOR SAILPLANE RACE
While we don't know how much it costs to get a sailplane to New Zealand, the winner of a next week's Community Trust Gliding Grand Prix should hopefully cover expenses with the $10,000 NZD in prize money. According to event organizers, it'll be the biggest prize ever handed out in the sport, which will see the 11 pilots from nine countries covering a variety of courses over nine days of racing. The winner is also guaranteed a spot in next year's competition. Glider- and helicopter-mounted cameras along with state-of-the-art 3D animated graphics will bring the aerial action to the audience. The event takes place at Omarama from Jan. 21 to Jan. 29. Meanwhile, U.S. soaring pilots are getting ready for their big meeting. More...

DOWNED CESSNA JUST AN RC
Police and ambulance vehicles rushed to the scene of a reported plane crash in the Vancouver, British Columbia suburb of Surrey last Sunday but were relieved to find that it was only someone's dreams that had been shattered. According to the Vancouver Sun, a woman and her young son called 911 after they saw the 1.5-meter radio-controlled model of a Cessna go down in a field next to one of Surrey's busiest streets. The field is often used by RC enthusiasts. From there, the case of mistaken identity took on a life of its own. Media outlets monitoring the police and ambulance radio channels began broadcasting bulletins about the "crash." More...

PILOTS COMPLAIN OF FATIGUE, MANAGEMENT OF REGS
If you're tired of hearing about airline problems, pilots say they are quite literally tired of living them. The Air Line Pilots Association says fatigue complaints are on the rise as airlines try to squeeze as much value out of their pilots' time as regulations will allow. Pilots on domestic flights are limited to eight hours of stick time a day but the length of their "duty day," which includes preflight and post-flight duties (aside from travel to and from locations for rest), is growing, claims ALPA President Duane Woerth. "It used to be 80 percent of the industry had a 14 hour duty day. But now most of that is gone. It's just gone," Woerth told reporters. And now JetBlue is pushing for a longer flying day as well. More...

SAFETY: AIRLINES VS. HOSPITAL
Statistics show you're a lot safer in a U.S. airlner than in a U.S. hospital and a consulting firm says medicine can learn a lot from aviation. Lifewings Partners LLC, made up of military and commercial pilots, along with active doctors, teaches healthcare providers the principles of aviation crew resource management with the goal of reducing the number of potentially life-threatening errors that happen in hospitals. According to a news release issued by Lifewings, 34 percent of critically ill patients in U.S. hospitals experienced mistakes in their medical care. It's the highest rate among developed countries. By contrast, the FAA published in 1996 that if you flew on "one flight at random each day, [you] would, on average, go for 21,000 years before perishing in a fatal crash." More...

PILOT FACES MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES
A Hawaiian pilot is facing a string of criminal charges, including manslaughter, in the crash of his sightseeing helicopter off Kauai last September. Glen Lampton, the flight's pilot, was one of three who survived the crash a few hundred yards off Ke'e Beach, near Ha'ena. Three other passengers died. Lampton was to be arraigned Tuesday on three counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree reckless endangering, one count of falsifying records and one count of tampering with evidence. He was indicted by a grand jury last month. According to the NTSB report, the Heli USA helicopter took off for the scheduled 45-minute flight early on the afternoon of Sept. 23 and encountered bad weather about halfway into the flight. More...

INTRODUCING AVWEBFLASH - AVWEB'S 2006 E-NEWSLETTER
Starting Monday, this newsletter will have a new, more streamlined look — and a slightly different name. AVflash is being rechristened AVwebFlash. The new name will tie us more closely to our parent site (www.AVweb.com) and distinguish us from our sister publication, AVwebBiz (formerly known as Business AVflash). Beneath our new masthead, you'll find the same engaging, independent GA coverage you've come to expect from the AVweb Newsteam.

The changeover will be seamless and require no action on your part. Just check your inbox on Monday morning. And, as always, we'd love to hear your comments on the new format ... . More...

ON THE FLY...
Cessna 120 destroyed by pickup truck...
Indian Air Force pilots plan circumnavigation...
Hawker 4000 certification delayed. More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
What have you heard? AVweb accepts tips. If you've heard something that 130,000 pilots might want to know about, don't be shy. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. Our best stories start with you. More...

NEW ARTICLES AND FEATURES ON AVWEB
COLUMNS
The Savvy Aviator #27: Battery TLC
Aircraft batteries are sensitive and fragile creatures, especially compared to their automotive brethren. Treat them with care and respect and they'll be there when you need them.

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Audio Clip
When it comes to ice detection, knowing where to look is half the battle. Click through for a free clip from our experts.

More...

AVWEB'S BUSINESS AVFLASH
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP yet for AVweb's NO-COST twice monthly Business AVflash? Reporting on breaking news, Business AVflash also focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the Business of Aviation. Business AVflash is a must read. Watch for a Business AVflash regular feature, TSA WATCH: GA IN THE "SPOTLIGHT". Sign up today at http://www.avweb.com/profile/ More...

AVWEB'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK ...
There are many distractions and responsibilities that keep us from flying as much as we'd like to. This week, AVweb wants to know what single factor has the greatest effect on the amount of time you spend in the sky. PLUS: Results of last week's question -- how many of you are planning to buying Light Sport Aircraft in the next ten years? More...

AVWEB'S PICTURE OF THE WEEK ...
In case you're joining us for the first time, here's the deal: Each week, we accept submissions from readers just like you, then we go through the submissions and pick our favorites. We giggle at the funny ones, gasp in awe at the exciting ones, and turn a few around and around trying to figure out what it is we're supposed to be looking at. Then we shout at each other for a while and apply our super-secret AVweb formula to figure out which photo was our favorite this week. Finally, we look at the submitters' names and addresses and send the winning photographer an official limited-edition AVweb baseball cap. And then we share the winning photo (and as many bonus pics as we can squeeze in) with our readers in the Thursday edition of our newsletter. Got it? Good — 'cause today's Thursday, and it's time to ooh and ahh over our latest batch of submissions! Arizona's Matt Riesterer claims the top spot this week, with a photo from a recent Texas Longhorns game. Congratulations, Matt — watch your mailbox for your AVweb hat! More...

AVflash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest aviation news, articles, products, features and events featured on AVweb, the Internet's Aviation Magazine and News Service. http://www.avweb.com

Letters to the editor intended for publication in AVmail should be sent to mailto:editor@avweb.com.com. Have a comment or question? Send it to mailto:newsteam@avweb.com.

Today's issue written by News Writer Russ Niles:
http://www.avweb.com/contact/authors.html#rniles
AVweb's editorial team: http://avweb.com/contact/authors.html.

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