Crash Report Clarifies Canada Caravan Ops

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) released the final report on the fatal icing-related crash of a Cessna 208 Caravan on Oct. 6, 2005 in Winnipeg, Canada. The Caravan was about 3 percent overweight and 200 pounds over mtow for operating in icing conditions. Moderate icing conditions were forecast in the Winnipeg area. The TSB report notes that icing intensity forecasts “are not quantitative; they are an opinion about the effects of the icing on a generic aircraft.” Different aircraft accumulate icing in unique ways, depending on airfoil shape, configuration, power and so on and “the generic icing forecast may not be effective in predicting the effects of icing conditions on particular aircraft.” Early in the investigation, the TSB recommended that Caravan pilots not take off in greater than light icing. The Caravan operator, Morningstar Air Express, issued revised best practices to include no flight into moderate or severe icing, 120 knots minimum airspeed in icing and no circling approaches in icing conditions.