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 crucial "known ice" certification was jeopardized by a rising trend of icing-related crashes, prompting the FAA to consider revocation.
- A unique collaboration among the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA), Cessna, and the FAA was formed to proactively address the safety concerns.
- Their solution combined hardware upgrades, revised operational procedures (including new AFM supplements), and, significantly, mandated recurrent pilot training as a condition for known-ice flight.
- This cooperative effort successfully mitigated the accident trend, preserved the Caravan's certification, and established a new model for integrating pilot education with aircraft safety standards.
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