Theres virtually no substitute for Cessnas Model 208 Caravan as an economical, high-volume utility airplane. Thats why it was a shock to the industry when the FAA considered revoking the Caravans “known ice” certification. After becoming indispensable as a small-package workhorse and charter/backcountry passenger 288
Saving The Cessna Caravan
Theres virtually no substitute for Cessnas Model 208 Caravan as an economical, high-volume utility airplane. Thats why it was a shock to the industry when the FAA considered revoking the Caravans "known ice" certification. After becoming indispensable as a small-package workhorse and charter/backcountry passenger transport, a terrible trend began to develop: Caravans were crashing after encountering icing conditions. The FAA threatened to pull the 208s certification for flight in icing unless industry figured out how to reverse the trend. Somebody had to save the Caravan. What operators, Cessna and the FAA did may change the way we all think about icing certification.
Key Takeaways:
- The Cessna Caravan's "known ice" certification faced potential revocation due to a troubling trend of icing-related crashes, threatening its essential role in utility and cargo transport.
- An unprecedented collaboration between the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA), Cessna, and the FAA was formed to address the safety concerns and preserve the aircraft's operational capability.
- This joint effort resulted in mandated hardware upgrades (e.g., additional deice boots, Low Airspeed Awareness System), revised operational procedures (e.g., tactile preflight inspection, updated flight planning charts), and, crucially, required recurrent pilot training for flying in icing conditions, successfully mitigating the risks.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
