Posted on 05/11/2017 12:17:01 PM PDT by DFG
“Karkow built the plane to be remarkably foolproof and user-friendly, with the design resistant to spins and stalls.”
Not working as advertised.
Flying boat = marginal airplane and really crappy boat.
It is an airplane. There will always be an inherent risk of an accident, no matter how well it is engineered, built, maintained, and operated.
I met him at a demonstration. What a shame. The plane is actually full of safety features, and I want one really bad.
Those who flew the PBY-5 “Catalina” and the PBM “Mariner” might not agree with you.
Sorry to hear this bad news. Terrible...
I always found this to be a great intriguing little aircraft.
When it came to it’s appeal it was a great. When it came to practicality, it seemed to me to have less than a broad functioning capability.
I like seeing new ideas out there. This seemed like a great little niche aircraft.
I’d like to see it survive. The public will decide.
Sad. Both lead engineers in the plane....probably testing a design/mechanical modification. I’ll bet that’s the case and some mechanic has an extra lock pin in his tool box or other hardware that he forgot to put in place. Or over torqued something....who knows.
The NTSB will verify it.
God bless the grieving families and friends of these great guys.
KNW
It looks like the Lake Buccaneer, which has been flying for 40+ years. I don’t see why the aircraft was considered cutting edge.
It's in the "Light Sport" category that could make it "cutting edge."
That's sad.
A5 Maneuvering Low-Level Prior to Crash
Peter Knudson, public affairs officer with the NTSB, told AVweb that a witness saw the aircraft flying 30-50 feet above the water. The plane then turned into a cove, applied full power, pitched up and rolled to the left. The aircraft went out of the witness’ line of sight shortly before impact with the terrain. The NTSB confirmed for AVweb that there was no post-crash fire. The second victim, Cagri Sever, was a new employee of the company on board as a passenger for an introductory flight.
Karkow was flying on the south side of Lake Berryessa in an area that was off-limits for take-off and landing of seaplanes according to Max Trescott, host of the Aviation News Talk podcast and a local flight instructor of amphibious aircraft. According to the NTSB, the area has a maximum speed limit for boats of 5 MPH, but Knudson noted that “they have no reason to believe the aircraft was attempting to take-off or land” immediately prior to the accident.
The ICON A5 that crashed on Monday morning killing two company employees, including the highly-respected aerodynamics engineer and test pilot Jon Karkow, was seen maneuvering low-level at cruising speeds seconds before the accident.
...
The NTSB crash database is packed full of fatal incidents like this.
Using a high-mounted pusher prop, when power is applied, the nose drops, not rises.
Let’s wait for the report before jumping to conclusions.
I am shocked and saddened by this.
I always liked the Grumman Goose.
Test pilot Karkow
Bfl
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