Cessna Caravan 208B

The Cessna Caravan 208B is a fixed-gear, short-haul, regional airliner and utility aircraft with a single turboprop engine that is built in the United States by Cessna. It requires a single pilot and seats nine passengers, although it can seat up to a maximum of fourteen passengers. Its prototype first flew in 1982, but the production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984. Its primary user is the FedEx Feeder, FedEx aircraft which feed packages to and from airports served by larger jet aircraft.

The 208B is offered in many configurations. The basic 208 mechanical structure can be furnished with various types of landing gear, allowing it to operate in a wide variety of environments. Some common adaptations include skis, enlarged tires for difficult runways, and floats on the Caravan Amphibian model. The Caravan's interior can also be customized, with 3 main variations catering to different levels of luxury and amounts of passengers.

Cessna Caravan 208B

Incidents with the Cessna Caravan 208B

  • Number built: Over 2000
  • Incidents recorded: 231
  • Fatalities: 166

There have been a total of 231 recorded incidences and 166 fatalities with the Cessna Caravan 208, according to the Aviation Safety Network. For a time, Cessna Caravans were crashing when encountering icy conditions. The FAA threatened to pull the 208's certification for flight in sub-zero weather unless Cessna could figure out how to counter its tendency to fail in these icy areas.  Accidents involved pilots from entry-level new hires to the most experienced pilots and thus could be explained best by the environment they were flying in.

 

Role of the Cessna Caravan 208B Light Transport Turboprop
Manufacturer of the Cessna Caravan 208B Cessna
First flight of the Cessna Caravan 208B August 8, 1982
Introduction of the Cessna Caravan 208B 1984
Status of the Cessna Caravan 208B In service
Cessna Caravan 208B Production 1984-present
Number of Cessna Caravan 208Bs built Over 2,000
Unit cost of the Cessna Caravan 208B US$2,022,450 (Base price, Caravan 675, 2011 price)
Variants of the Cessna Caravan 208B Soloy Pathfinder 21
Crew of the Cessna Caravan 208B 1 pilot
Capacity of the Cessna Caravan 208B nine passengers or 14 with FAR Part 23 waiver
Length of the Cessna Caravan 208B 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m)
Wingspan of the Cessna Caravan 208B 52 ft 1 in (15.88 m)
Height of the Cessna Caravan 208B 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
Wing Area of the Cessna Caravan 208B 279 sq ft (25.9 m2)
Aspect Ratio of the Cessna Caravan 208B 9.72
Empty Weight of the Cessna Caravan 208B 4,570 lb (2,073 kg) (weight of typically equipped unit is 2127 kg/4690 lb)
Gross Weight of the Cessna Caravan 208B 8,750 lb (3,969 kg) (maximum landing weight is 3856 kg/8500 lb.)
Fuel Capacity of the Cessna Caravan 208B 332 gallon/2224 lb
Powerplant of the Cessna Caravan 208B  1 × Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A turboprop, 677 hp (505 kW)
Propellers of the Cessna Caravan 208B 3-bladed Hartzell variable pitch
Cruise Speed of the Cessna Caravan 208B 197 mph (171 kn; 317 km/h)
Range of the Cessna Caravan 208B 1,240 mi (1,078 nmi; 1,996 km) with max fuel and reserves
Rate of Climb of the Cessna Caravan 208B 770 ft/min (3.9 m/s)
Cessna Caravan 208B Wing Loading  31.36 lb/sq ft (153.1 kg/m2)

Photo Credit: flickr.com

Related Articles

Notable Cases

Pilot Error Upon Landing Results in Private & Small Plane Crash Lawsuit

Case Title: Swies v. On May 22, 2018, a Gulfstream G200 with registration number N813WM crashed on approach to an airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The flight originated in Austin, Texas. It held two crew members and four passengers. There were no fatalities, and weather was not considered a factor in the accident. On approach to…

Case Details

Pilot’s Negligent Visual Approach Results in Private & Small Plane Crash Lawsuit

Case Title: Estate of Robinett v. Estate of Kinikin On December 10, 2009, a Piper PA-30 airplane with registration number N7881Y crashed into Laguna Madre, approximately a mile and a half from the Charles R. Johnson Airport in Port Mansfield, Texas. The pilot and sole passenger were both killed in the crash into the water.…

Case Details

In-Flight Fire Private & Small Plane Crash Lawsuit

Case Title: Estate of Henry Jackson v. Fredericksburg Aviation On May 16, 2016, a Beechcraft Bonanza A36TC with registration number N60RW departed from Tupelo Regional Airport in Tupelo, Mississippi, in route to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport in Virginia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. Shortly after departure, the pilot…

Case Details

Compressor Turbine Blade Fracture Results in Private and Small Plane Crash Lawsuit

Case Title: Lee Odekirk, et al. v. Dallas Airmotive, Inc., et al. On August 24, 2008, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (TG-JES) operated by Aero Ruta Maya was carrying volunteers and missionaries to a remote area in Guatemala to finish building a school and homes, when the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-44A engine suffered a…

Case Details

Pilot Error Results in Private and Small Plane Crash Lawsuit

Case Title: Himsel v. State of AK On November 12, 1992, a Beechcraft King Air B200 flown by the Alaska Army National Guard with passengers from the U.S. Army crashed into a mountain on its approach into the airport in Juneau, Alaska, resulting in eight casualties. Among those killed was the commander of the Alaska…

Case Details

Defective Beech Depressurization System Results in Private & Small Plane Crash Lawsuit

Case Title: Hagerman, et al. v. Hawker Beechcraft Corp., et al. On April 10, 2008, the cabin door to a Hawker Beech BE-200 King Air aircraft with registration number N300FL, explosively blew off its hinges while the aircraft was on the ground with its engine idling, killing a mechanic. The plane was owned and operated by…

Case Details