Review - Cessna Caravan Fuel Condition Lever

Review - Cessna Caravan Fuel Condition Lever

By Chris Rosenfelt

A question that I receive fairly often is concerning the Fuel Condition Lever in the Cessna Caravan. People mainly want to know when they should use the Low Idle and High Idle positions.

Before I get into specifics, let's start with the basics. The Fuel Condition Lever is connected to the Fuel Control Unit (FCU). The Fuel Condition Lever has 3 positions: Idle Cutoff, Low Idle and High Idle positions. 

The Cutoff position cuts off all fuel to the engine fuel nozzles. The Low Idle position provides an RPM of 52% Ng. The High Idle position provides an RPM of 65% Ng. Low Idle is also known as Ground Idle and High Idle is also known as Flight Idle.

Unfortunately there are some Caravan operators that are training their pilots to never put the Fuel Condition Lever into High Idle and that, "it is not necessary to use". This is absolutely incorrect information. The Before Takeoff and Before Landing checklists state to put the Fuel Condition Lever into the High Idle position.

The reason that we have heard that some Caravan owners tell pilots to always leave it in Low Idle is to save on fuel and because (they say) that they are concerned that the pilot will forget to move the condition lever to Low Idle after landing, causing a faster taxi that might lead to them plowing into something or somebody on the ramp. We have also heard that they want to reduce brake wear during ground ops.

We at Caravan Nation recommend that you follow the AFM/POH guidelines and checklists which state to only use Low Idle on the ground or on the rare occasion that you have to do an Air Start. 

High Idle allows for a faster throttle response, which you would want in a go around situation. As stated in the Cessna 208B Caravan Information Manual, "The higher gas generator idle speed for flight provides faster engine acceleration when adding power (from an idle condition) on approach or for a balked landing go-around."

If you are ever in doubt about when to use High or Low Idle, please consult the Caravan AFM.

For more information about the mighty Caravan, please visit CaravanNation.com

Caravan Seaplane Goes Down Near Miami

A seaplane that departed West Palm Beach early Friday afternoon landed on its side in the water near Miami.

CBS News Miami reports seven people were rescued from the small plane after it went down in Government Cut, near the MacArthur Causeway. Footage from its helicopter showed the propeller still spinning as the blue-and-white plane lay on its side.

Everyone on the plane has been evacuated from it and no injuries were reported in the incident.

According to FlightAware, the tail number of the plane showed it took off from Palm Beach International Airport at 1:04 p.m. The page noted it was last seen at 1:37 p.m. near Miami.

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Southern Airways Express Caravan Lands on Freeway

 

As reported by NBC Washington

A roadway in Northern Virginia became an airplane’s runway during snowfall Friday. A small airplane with seven people on board made an emergency landing on Loudoun County Parkway, Virginia State Police said and stunning video footage shows.

No one on the plane or on the ground was hurt. Southern Airways Express Flight 246 made its emergency landing at about 12:50 p.m. The plane landed in the southbound lanes of the parkway near Arcola Mills Drive. The area is close to Dulles International Airport.

Jesse Labell said he was driving along Loudon County Parkway when he suddenly saw the plane.

“I look up and the plane’s like 20 feet above me and it lands like 20 feet in front of me. And, just driving, I’m like, ‘Uh, what’s going on?’ So, they go down, they land it. They got squirrely at the end here and crashed into the guardrail. I checked on everybody and saw if they were good,” he said.

Two crew members and five passengers were aboard the plane, Southern Airways confirmed. Police said the passengers were four adults and a 15-year-old boy.

The pilot, a 27-year-old Florida man, was able to safely land the plane on the parkway without hitting any vehicles, a police spokesperson said. The only damage that occurred was to a guardrail on the right side of the parkway, she said.

No one from the plane needed to be taken to a hospital, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said.

Dulles Airport officials said the small plane took off from the airport and then quickly made an emergency landing on the nearby parkway.

In a statement shared at 1:30 p.m., airport officials said: "Dulles Airport received reports around 12:50pm of a departed aircraft landing off airport property on a nearby roadway. The aircraft was identified as Southern Airways Express flight 246. Responders from Loudoun County are managing the scene, and Dulles Airport remains open for takeoffs and landings."

The southbound lanes of Loudoun County Parkway were closed as police responded to the emergency landing, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said in a social media statement. They reopened about 6 p.m.

Loudoun County Fire & Rescue said there was a crew nearby when the plane landed, so crews were able to respond quickly.

An image shared by VDOT showed traffic stopped and police lights flashing on the roadway as emergency responders handled the situation.

The reasons for the emergency landing were not immediately shared, but winter weather caused traffic havoc around the D.C. area Friday. Conditions had forced a groundstop Friday morning at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington.

State police said the plane was a single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan.

Stan Little, CEO of Southern Airways, released a statement saying: "We are relieved to report there were no injuries, and all passengers are safe and sound. We are thankful to our pilots, who did exactly what they were trained to do -- to put the safety of our passengers first. We are working closely with the authorities to thoroughly investigate the situation, and we will take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of our passengers and our fleet."

State police blocked off traffic and are now leading the investigation. Police said both the FAA and NTSB were notified.

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