Float plane devours another float plane.

Do the Cessna Caravans have reverse (beta) thrust capability? How much forward thrust would be produced at ground idle? I guess what I'm getting at, is what could the pilot have done other than an emergency shut down of the engine?

Cheers,
Grog
 
The scariest part was when the pilot gets off and stands on the float trying to tie it down, and the prop starts spinning.
 
Heya step-float plane-..wha wha what are you doing back there??
 
sarangan said:
The scariest part was when the pilot gets off and stands on the float trying to tie it down, and the prop starts spinning.
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Yep, that gave me the willies, kind of like when people muzzle sweep everybody and keep their finger on the trigger in just about every TV show. Really creeps me out.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Looks like it came out of feather inadvertently.
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Caravans with the seaplane kit have prop locks so they can shut down/start up with the prop in fine pitch instead of feather.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Ok. Does that prevent the pilot from feathering the prop while it’s running?
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If the prop locks are engaged, yes. They physically lock into the hub to prevent the blades from feathering on shutdown. To disengage the locks you have to pull the power lever over the gate into beta with the engine running. IIRC there is another way too but I don’t remember it.
 
DavidWhite said:
If the prop locks are engaged, yes. They physically lock into the hub to prevent the blades from feathering on shutdown. To disengage the locks you have to pull the power lever over the gate into beta with the engine running. IIRC there is another way too but I don’t remember it.
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I understand that but what I’m asking is can you still pull the blue knob back to feather with the engine running.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
I understand that but what I’m asking is can you still pull the blue knob back to feather with the engine running.
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If the engine is running normally (IE not on the locks) yes, you can still feather the engine.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
That’s what I was thinking happened. Sailed into the dock and feathered the prop to tie up then come out of feather. But. I’m just guessing.
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It definitely looks like he started it in feather and then put it to fine pitch, and possibly just before impact feathered it again.

Hard to tell from the video though, I’ve seen comparable quality pictures of sasquatch.
 
DavidWhite said:
It definitely looks like he started it in feather and then put it to fine pitch, and possibly just before impact feathered it again.

Hard to tell from the video though, I’ve seen comparable quality pictures of sasquatch.
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I have never flown an airplane designed to float. I really am just thinking out loud. Regardless it’s a raw deal.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
I have never flown an airplane designed to float. I really am just thinking out loud. Regardless it’s a raw deal.
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All airplanes you’ve flown would probably float for a little while.
 
Back to the question posed in my Post #3 of this thread: "What could the pilot have done to prevent this accident other than an emergency shut down of the engine? In his Post #14, David White indicates that beta thrust would have been available ... could the use of this feature have prevented this collision?

Cheers,
Grog
 
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