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.
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