Icon demos new submarine model in southwest florida

[unsafervguy]

Looks like another sunk icon.

https://www.winknews.com/2018/02/09/small-plane-lands-san-carlos-bay-no-one-hurt/

Bob

 

[SkyDog58]

Damn. They seem to have a structural integrity issue.

 

[James331]

Notice that one said "flight training" on the side of it?

Belongs to Jet Mist holdings, aka George Whelen #4, PPL SEL SES IFR with a 2nd class medical.

Guessing the same Whelen as
https://www.whelen.com/about.php

I really don't think there is much of a design problem, seems more of a demographic and training side of the house problem which the A5 suffers from

 

[DaleB]

Damn. They seem to have a structural integrity issue.

Oh, I don't know. Aside from water landings they seem to do pretty well.

 

[frfly172]

Not going to be good for public relations. At the ligh sport-expo,they didn’t seem to have much traffic at there booth

 

[SkyDog58]

That one said "flight training" on the side of it?

Belongs to Jet Mist holdings, aka George Wheelen #4, PPL SEL SES IFR with a 2nd class medical.

I really don't think there is much of a design problem, seems more of a demographic and business side of the house problem which the A5 suffers from

Oh, I’m sure that this one was a harder than normal landing just like the last one that had a hull breach. But two hull breaches in a relatively short timeframe and low number of fleet hours appears to be disproportionate to amphibs in general. Thus my assertion that there might be an issue. Just a swag.

 

[James331]

Oh, I’m sure that this one was a harder than normal landing just like the last one that had a hull breach. But two hull breaches in a relatively short timeframe and low number of fleet hours appears to be disproportionate to amphibs in general. Thus my assertion that there might be an issue. Just a swag.

For sure, but amphibs and low time pilots don't often go well together, here's another recent amphib accident, and this one was in a very proven DHC-2.

http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2016/a16p0180/a16p0180.asp

"He had held a private pilot licence since 15 January 2016 and had accumulated approximately 280 hours of flying experience. The majority of that flight time (211 hours) had been acquired in a single-engine 4-seat Cessna 182E. The pilot had completed 7.1 hours of float training and was issued an endorsement for a seaplane rating..."

The above level of experience seems to fit many of these icon accidents.

Seems like when you take a low time pilot with a trainer trike on paved airports background and toss them into the backcountry/float world with very minim experience on floats or in the backcountry, it often turns out poorly.

They need to move away from a seadoo training and marketing model, to more of a cirrus style training and marketing method.

 

[C-1 PILOT]

Not going to be good for public relations. At the ligh sport-expo,they didn’t seem to have much traffic at there booth

Not surprising given their price tag. If you need an S-LSA amphibion that bad, you’re better off with a SEAREY!

 

[James331]

Not surprising given their price tag. If you need an S-LSA amphibion that bad, you’re better off with a SEAREY!

Not sure I'd say that, the icon is a much more finished design and doesn't have that garage built look that the searay has, I'm sure many of the higher end clients might would have a easier time getting their wife or mistress to get into a pretty icon, where's as the searay might be a little harder.

I'd also think that if they could remove the LSA restrictions, the icon would be a pretty quick little amphib with the proper power plant and prop.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

For sure, but amphibs and low time pilots don't often go well together, here's another recent amphib accident, and this one was in a very proven DHC-2.

http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2016/a16p0180/a16p0180.asp

"He had held a private pilot licence since 15 January 2016 and had accumulated approximately 280 hours of flying experience. The majority of that flight time (211 hours) had been acquired in a single-engine 4-seat Cessna 182E. The pilot had completed 7.1 hours of float training and was issued an endorsement for a seaplane rating..."

The above level of experience seems to fit many of these icon accidents.

Seems like when you take a low time pilot with a trainer trike on paved airports background and toss them into the backcountry/float world with very minim experience on floats or in the backcountry, it often turns out poorly.

They need to move away from a seadoo training and marketing model, to more of a cirrus style training and marketing method.

I'm not convinced they are comparable accidents. The DHC-2 in the link above crashed on land, in an overloaded plane out of CG.

The investigation determined that the aircraft was carrying 495 pounds of cargo and 209 pounds of fuel, and that the combined weight of its occupants was 1032 pounds. Its resulting total weight was 5772 pounds, with a centre of gravity (C of G) 9.2 inches aft of the datum (Figure 4), which placed the aircraft 682 pounds over its maximum allowable gross weight, with a C of G 3.1 inches beyond the aft limit.

That crash could have just as easily happened in a DHC-2 on wheels. Other than both being seaplanes, I see little in common with these events.

 

[SkyDog58]

Not sure I'd say that, the icon is a much more finished design and doesn't have that garage built look that the searay has, I'm sure many of the higher end clients might would have a easier time getting their wife or mistress to get into a pretty icon, where's as the searay might be a little harder.

I'd also think that if they could remove the LSA restrictions, the icon would be a pretty quick little amphib with the proper power plant and prop.

Agreed although I am somewhat considering buying a Searey.

I do think that either doing away with LSA restrictions or offering two versions would be a great idea. Adding power and increased useful load would make it more desirable to the non sport pilot as long as they can keep the price down. I wonder if they could have predicted basic med, if they might have done things differently.

 

[James331]

I'm not convinced they are comparable accidents. The DHC-2 in the link above crashed on land, in an overloaded plane out of CG.

That crash could have just as easily happened in a DHC-2 on wheels. Other than both being seaplanes, I see little in common with these events.

It's the lack of developed decision making skills and low level off airport flying experience that has caused most of these accidents.