In Transition: Turbine Mallard and SAM LSA
Two general-aviation aircraft designs, the Turbine Mallard and the all-metal tandem SAM LSA, are up for sale. Thierry Zibi said he enjoyed designing and building the SAM, but doesn’t want to run a production company. The SAM is certified in Canada as an Advanced Ultralight, and is compliant with the LSA rule in the USA. Frakes Aviation acquired classic Grumman Mallard’s type certificate some years ago, and upgraded the fleet with turbine engines. The TC is back on the market now, as the current owners are ready to retire. “We’re looking for someone to take on the entire project,” said Sam Jantzen, of Mallard Aircraft, who is working with Frakes. That would include not just the type certificate but the inventory of parts and several partially-built aircraft now owned by Frakes and based in Texas.
Two Puzzling Accidents May Be Hypoxia Linked
Two general aviation crashes apparently due to oxygen deprivation occurred within a week, focusing attention on the techniques and technology used by both pilots and controllers to deal with hypoxia. A Cirrus SR22 pilot was alone in the cockpit on a flight from Wisconsin to the Washington, D.C., area, in late August, when controllers lost contact and fighter jets were scrambled to investigate. The SR22 crashed into the ocean. A few days later, a brand-new TBM 900 enroute from New York to Florida, with two people on board, crashed into the Atlantic near Jamaica. The F-15 pilots reported seeing the pilot slumped over the controls before the plane’s windows frosted over.
