Cicadas found during a preflight inspection. [Courtesy Blake Love, Mansa Aero]
Key Takeaways:
Cicadas can cause significant problems for aircraft, including creating messes, distracting crews, and, critically, causing equipment failure.
An incident occurred where a Challenger 350's Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) was found completely clogged with cicadas, preventing engine start by blocking airflow.
Technicians discovered the cicadas were attracted to the APU's noise and heat, leading to them swarming into the inlet and obstructing its function.
Aircraft owners are advised to avoid operating APUs for extended periods on parked aircraft during cicada outbreaks to prevent similar blockages.
They make a mess when they hit the windscreen. They are distracting when they swarm you as you are trying to do a preflight inspection of the airplane. And sometimes, they can get into the equipment and make it fail.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
