The SkyCourier, a high-wing, twin-turboprop utility design, will join Hinterland’s large fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans, bringing an increase in passenger seating and payload. Textron said expansion of the Hinterland fleet will benefit the remote communities that the airline serves as well as tourism and other businesses in Queensland.

“The SkyCourier’s incredible performance makes it a reliable business tool for customers all over the world,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president of global sales and flight operations for Textron Aviation. “With the ability to load, fly, unload, and repeat—along with low operating costs and maximum cabin flexibility—the SkyCourier is a game-changer in regional connectivity.”

A single pilot can operate the SkyCourier, which is designed to be adaptable to a range of passenger, freight, and special-mission flights. It is available in both freighter and passenger versions, with the 19-passenger model boasting crew and traveler doors for easier boarding. Both configurations offer single-point pressure refueling for rapid turnaround. 

• READ MORE: Textron Aviation Delivers First Passenger Cessna SkyCourier

“We are thrilled to announce our order of the new Cessna SkyCourier,” said Andrew Clair, CEO of Hinterland Aviation. “The aircraft will be a valuable addition to our fleet, allowing us to better serve our clients’ individual needs with room for 19 passengers and access to remote runways. The SkyCourier will serve as an important tool to help grow our business, and we will be proud to be the first airline customer in Australia to operate this aircraft.”

The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC engines with McCauley C779 propellers. The 110-inch, four-blade props have full feathering with reverse pitch. The aircraft is equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and boasts a maximum cruise speed of more than 200 ktas and range of 900 nm.

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The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) initial investigation revealed that the right wing of the 2021 Cessna 208B was found some 200 yards from the main fuselage of the aircraft, indicating it had separated from the airframe before impact.

The Caravan was on lease to Raisbeck Engineering, a Seattle-based company that specializes in aircraft modification systems for business and commercial aircraft to improve aircraft performance and efficiency.

According to a statement from Hal Chrisman, president of Raisbeck Engineering, the aircraft was confirmed under lease to Raisbeck, and “… at the time of the crash was under the command of two highly-experienced test pilots, both with over 10,000 flight hours. The purpose of the flight was to collect baseline aircraft performance data. The entire crew of four also included a flight test director and an instrumentation engineer.”

According to Raisbeck, the flight was conducted prior to the installation of a Raisbeck modification, which is “standard industry practice that allows aviation engineering firms to establish baseline aircraft performance under a highly structured flight profile to later measure and compare the change in performance after any proposed modifications are installed. The aircraft was in this initial testing phase and had not yet been modified in any way.”

What We Know So Far

Investigators have established a timeline for the accident flight. The 2021 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX N2069B departed Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT) around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, November 18, and headed north.

According to information recorded by FlightAware.com the aircraft entered into a series of turns, climbs and descents with airspeed fluctuations before it plunged to the ground around 10:20 a.m. in an agricultural field near Harvey Airfield (S43), a non-towered airport approximately 11 miles north of Seattle. The flight had been in the air for approximately 55 minutes.

A witness to the accident reported seeing parts coming off the aircraft as it plunged to the ground.

“All the members of the Raisbeck family are devastated by this tragic accident,” the statement said. “And while Raisbeck feels this loss deeply, we cannot begin to imagine the loss and pain of the families and other loved ones of these crew members.”

The aircraft wreckage has been moved to a secure facility for study. NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report on the accident in a few weeks.

The post Downed Caravan That Killed 4 Lost Wing in Flight: NTSB appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Announced at EAA Airventure, the partnership includes RED Aircraft’s AO3 series compression ignition engine, rated to 550 hp, and Ampaire’s electrical system for peak power. RED Aircraft will develop and supply Jet A/sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)-compatible engine subsystems to Ampaire as part of the partnership’s goal to commercialize electric-propulsion aircraft for applications up to 800 hp.

“RED Aircraft sees enormous potential for hybrid-electric aircraft and believes the Eco Caravan is just the first step to bringing a new level of efficiency and vastly lower emissions to a large swath of aviation,” said Jürgen Schwarz, CEO of RED. “We are thrilled to be pursuing these opportunities hand-in-hand with Ampaire.”

The Cessna Eco Caravan serves as the first aircraft to receive the new propulsion system, but many more hybrid-electric fixed-wing aircraft are in development.

“The modern, powerful, and ultra-fuel-efficient RED engines have exactly the right characteristics for the Eco Caravan’s hybrid-electric propulsion system and for many other upgrades or all-new designs we may pursue,” said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “We are very pleased to take this first step in collaboration with a company that shares our goal to decarbonize aviation while reducing costs for aircraft operators and their passengers.”

Ampaire is not the first to electrify a Caravan, however. In 2020, electric propulsion designer Magnix and flight test specialist AeroTEC developed a fully-electric Cessna 208B Caravan. The aircraft’s maiden flight only lasted 30 minutes, restricting it to short distances.

Also, Pipistrel’s fully electric Velis Electro two-seater has been type certificated by EASA, and is being used as a trainer in the U.S. In Colorado, Bye Aerospace said recently it’s making significant progress toward key approvals to certificate its fully electric eFlyer 2 two-seater. 

• READ MORE: Bye Aerospace Nears Key Approvals for eFlyer 2 

H2 About the Aircraft 

According to Ampaire, the Eco Caravan will offer several benefits, including:

• fuel consumption reduced up to 70 percent
• Jet A/SAF compatible engine
• lower initial engine and maintenance costs
• up to 40 percent lower operating costs.

Ampaire was formed in 2016 to upgrade existing passenger aircraft to hybrid-electric vehicles in order to push the aviation industry towards net-zero emissions. RED, or Raikhlin Engine Developments, was founded in 1995 by Vladimir Raikhlin and is based in Adenau, Germany.

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