Posted on 09/18/2008 1:55:37 PM PDT by pabianice
Federal investigators are on their way to Douglass, Kansas to investigate the crash of a Cessna Skycatcher LSA prototype Thursday. The pilot of the test aircraft was able to parachute to safety and was reportedly taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Cessna media relations personnel were unable to immediately respond to AVweb's request for more detailed information, but KAKE Television is reporting the aircraft crashed into a treeline near the boundary of Butler and Cowley Counties. The television station is quoting witnesses as saying they heard a loud pop and then saw sparks and the plane spiraling down. The pilot landed in a field about 400 yards from the aircraft. The TV station quoted a Cessna spokesman as saying the crash aircraft had about 150 hours on it.
The prototype first flew on March 8, and Cessna is planning on delivering the first customer aircraft in the first half of 2009. What the crash does to that schedule is unclear. There are close to 1,000 orders for the aircraft, which will be built in China and reassembled in three plants in the U.S.
(Excerpt) Read more at avweb.com ...
Not good at all. Cessna was trying to keep costs down by having their new entry level plane built in China.
They should change the name to groundcatcher.
Although one hates to hear of any a/c crash, I'm glad the test pilot got out without serious injury.
Pure supposition based upon above report: wing spar failed at bottom of fuel tank (pop); fuel ignited briefly (sparks); wing failed.
Built in China. Sheesh. Can’t even get a good plane anymore.
Since the pilot jumped, I assume he had no control at all. All controls locked...Otherwise, a good test pilot would try a dead-stick landing...But then again, I am not a pilot.
Cessna is just trying to increase sales of the Ballistic Recovery System (BRS) option...
Skycather: Made in China.
It’s not like this was a prototype with innovative aerodynamics and technology. It’s a damn piston single. Who the heck can screw something that simple up?
But if I can buy it at Walmart for $499...
Might be worth considering.
Accidents happen! Honest!
In all fairness though, I did know a test pilot when I was younger. When I first asked him what he did for a living, he said, "I rip the wings off of aircraft". Apparently, the manufacturers really want to know the exact limits of the machine before failure and they pay good money to find out.
I wouldn’t buy a plane from WalMart, but
I *might* buy a boat from WalMart.
The difference being, I can swim...
Lookie what I found:
CindyDawg: "How much with an attached parachute?:’) "
ROFLMAO
Wong Wei?
Yeah you’re right. Who could pass up a deal like that to kill yourself? LOL
I’m thinking “too much lead in the paint”.
Wight you are!
>>It’s not like this was a prototype with innovative aerodynamics and technology. It’s a damn piston single. Who the heck can screw something that simple up?<<
Well, it is made in china. My sisters Citation is supposed to be one of the safest planes in the air though...
Doesn’t look any different from the 210 series. What’s the point?
Lots of good 152’s out there for around 20 grand ... I think this A/C goes for around 100g’s ....
Wong Wei Coweigan
It looks just like my GlaStar except that my GlaStar cruises at 130 mph on 5 GPH worth of unleaded.
The answer is the "Facetmobile", but that is way to deep for most folks to get their hands or head around, read the PAV report on the Facetmobile's site.
Here is the as yet to be built 2 seat version, the FMX-5
Most of the money was spent on avionics. If you've looked inside there is about $95K worth of glass cockpit on the panel.
Good plane - only problem is when that fiberglass goes up in flames, it goes up in flames .... well what the heck, you could also get it falling off your couch in a fit of laughter......
Right - most of the price is in the panel ... but when the glass goes out ... are there analog backups??? We have them in the biz-jets I fly in case, and so does Boeing A/C .....
I just tell my wife that I can always land it slowly enough to walk away from the crash. When I designed the engine and fuel system I eliminated the need for a header tank. A good friend of mine, Jim Londo died in a Cessna because of the header tank.
I used to be a pilot for a bread factory.
My job was to take the bread off one table and pilot on another.
I had to quit, though.
The dough was bad and I started to loaf.
Nyuk, nyuk.
Same thing with the Kit Fox ... fuel tank right there in front of you .... scary .....
“Since the pilot jumped, I assume he had no control at all. “
Plane has a full chute. Whole things comes down with a very large chute.
Speaking of mechanical disasters, how’s things?
made me laugh :-) think i will have a beer and cigar.
If there is backups they are really little and disguised as knobs and buttons.
Interesting that a plane built in China can’t be flown there by the people building them ... no GA in China ... then too, they build a lot of gun stuff that they can’t use ...
You think he jumped after the plane shute deployed? I guess, if I had a personal shute I would jump also.
Nope. No need. Those things work great. Besides, getting out of such a small plane is a hazard in itself.
You cant break things if you can’t start them in the first place.
Things are going good overall. Hey, do you have and extra 14k in your budget. I want to get something.
Nevermind. Re-read all the words in the article. It says the pilot landed 400 yards from the crash site, meaning he jumped. Oops.
After the jello wrestling mail order bride you got with the last 14K, I'm afraid to ask.
Out of nowhere....thanks you own me a fresh can of soda
Talk to Cougar, he’s the one with the cash.
I didn’t know that she came with accessories, but they cost extra.
I’m sure Cessna has made a fine plane here but making it cheaper doesn’t seem to be the best idea.
How about making it as well as it can be made?
This has got to set back Cessnas efforts to enter the L.S.A. market.
You can speculate. I could say it most likely was an engine failure. I’ve heard that one in three new engines fail in the first year in aviation.
Private pilot here living on a private airport.
Based on the report he landed 400 yards from the aircraft, so it implies he had his own chute.
Lycoming, Continental, Rotax, I can go on here but they all have problems and it doesn’t make sense. I mean how can Ford screw up a pick up truck? They’ve only make how many millions?
You’d think they’d get it right by now.
Same for engine manufacturers.
After your first few words, I was expecting a joke about Eaker...
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