X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:18:05 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from ispmxmta07-srv.windstream.net ([166.102.165.168] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.13) with ESMTP id 3582730 for lml@lancaironline.net; Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:40:39 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=166.102.165.168; envelope-from=cassutt@windstream.net Received: from ispmxfep11-z01 ([10.135.32.117]) by ispmxmta07-srv.windstream.net with ESMTP id <20090415234002.DNBT18947.ispmxmta07-srv.windstream.net@ispmxfep11-z01> for ; Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:40:02 -0500 X-Original-Message-ID: <20090415183544.7003H.808579.root@ispmxfep11-z01> X-Original-Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:35:44 -0500 From: X-Original-To: Lancair Mailing List Subject: Re: [LML] In the News today In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Priority: 3 (Normal) Sensitivity: Normal X-Originating-IP: 98.21.199.28 X-Auth-IP: 98.21.199.28 X-Cloudmark-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=vPxqMnQJDMAjqjqpHEEA:9 a=i4vyRHSbk3yr52Mr2R0A:7 a=ncNv5jUx0yw6Jo--2Qt8xV0SLUQA:4 a=rC2wZJ5BpNYA:10 NTSB Asks FAA To Immediately Ground Zodiac CH-601XL LSAs=20 By Mary Grady, Contributing Editor In an unusual move on Tuesday, the NTSB issued an "urgent safety recommend= ation" asking the FAA to prohibit further flight of the Zodiac CH-601XL, a = light sport aircraft that has been involved in six in-flight structural bre= akups since 2006. The airplane is designed by Zenair. The board cited four = accidents in the U.S. and two in Europe in which a CH-601XL broke up in-fli= ght, killing a total of 10 people. According to the NTSB, there is a proble= m with the airplane design that makes it susceptible to aerodynamic flutter= -- a phenomenon in which the control surfaces of the airplane can suddenly= vibrate, and if unmitigated, can lead to catastrophic structural failure. = The CH-601XL was certified as an LSA in 2005. The NTSB wants the fleet grou= nded until the FAA can determine that the problem has been solved. "The NTS= B does not often recommend that all airplanes of a particular type be prohi= bited from further flight," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker. "In th= is case, we believe such action will save lives. Unless the safety issues w= ith this particular Zodiac model are addressed, we are likely to see more a= ccidents in which pilots and passengers are killed in airplanes that they b= elieved were safe to fly." The NTSB also found the stick force gradient was not uniform, and was lesse= r at high Gs, which could make the airplane susceptible to over-control by = the pilot, which could lead to over-stressing the design limits and lead to= in-flight structural failure. The board also made several requests of ASTM= International, the entity that provides the design standards for light spo= rt aircraft. NTSB says ASTM should add requirements to ensure the standards= for LSAs reduce the potential for aerodynamic flutter to occur, develop st= andards on stick-force characteristics that minimize the possibility inadve= rtent over-controlling by the pilot, and ensure standards for LSAs result i= n accurate airspeed indications and appropriate documentation in new airpla= ne pilot operating handbooks. ---- Art Jensen wrote:=20 > FAA urged to=C2=A0ground small aircraft involved in fatal incidents. > =C2=A0 > This was on Headline News today.=C2=A0 Does anyone have any information t= o add?=C2=A0 What is the rest of the story?=C2=A0 Who is urging the FAA to = ground the small aircraft?